Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Luis Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Luis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $764 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,164 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,564 in Sao Luis.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sao Luis 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.92 R$25.07

-7.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$30.38 R$155

52.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.40 R$37.69

19.46%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.06 R$10.48

48.54%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.96 R$4.87

-23.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.60 R$3.04

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.86 R$9.48

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.20 R$16.27

18.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.98 R$4.98

130.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.88 R$9.58

-3.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.99 R$5.03

127.27%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.87 R$9.50

20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.40 R$47.86

107.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.78 R$19.25

-3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.37 R$37.53

77.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.94 R$9.89

66.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.27 R$6.47

27.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.99 R$5.05

140.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.35 R$6.90

50.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.16 R$5.90

31.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.25 R$6.35

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.77 R$3.93

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.62 R$3.14

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.05 R$10.44

116.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.96 R$40.55

130.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.15 R$5.87

61.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.92 R$9.76

39.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.77 R$3.93

83.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$34.77 R$177

-66.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.93 R$4.71

234.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.49 R$2.49

112.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.29 R$32.05

124.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.98 R$4.98

33.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$17.0K R$86.8K

63.21%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$25.2K R$128.2K

31.88%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿4,118

$82.4 R$420

48.52%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.59 ฿457

$17.31 R$88.2

-21.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$16.28 R$82.9

14.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$18.44 R$93.9

228.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$15.44 R$78.6

9.97%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.24 R$31.79

45.35%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 ฿23.8K

$205 R$1,042

245.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,348 R$22.1K

263.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$44.44 R$226

31.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$46.93 R$239

-24.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$53.7 R$273

115.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$53.7 R$274

55.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$388 R$1,975

61.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$208 R$1,057

114.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$519 R$2,642

293.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$299 R$1,525

398.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,470 R$7,486

136.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$715 R$3,641

260.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$375 R$1,909

33.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $388 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Sao Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $179 per month, with Sao Luis cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Sao Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Luis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $388 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $205 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $764 in Sao Luis versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Luis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sao Luis are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.