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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $855 in Sao Vicente.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,442 in Sao Vicente.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,029 in Sao Vicente.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than in Sao Vicente, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Sao Vicente 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.86 R$40.51

-43.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$34.18 R$176

-5.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.97 R$35.89

28.12%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.16 R$11.14

34.26%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.31 R$6.74

-32.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.91 R$4.70

-47.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.37 R$12.22

-0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.94 R$15.16

26.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.09 R$5.63

71.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.92 R$9.91

-23.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.35 R$6.97

14.81%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.46 R$12.69

-14.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.82 R$60.9

65.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.82 R$24.81

-29.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$9.88 R$50.9

15.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.09 R$10.78

42.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.33 R$6.85

26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.54 R$7.94

43.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.51 R$7.80

43.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.29 R$6.64

17.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.31 R$6.77

2.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.95 R$4.89

18.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.88 R$4.52

-37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.31 R$11.92

84.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.91 R$40.77

141.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.53 R$7.87

16.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.53 R$13.03

9.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.03 R$5.30

116.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$43.16 R$222

-47.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.19 R$6.13

154.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.69 R$3.58

47.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$13.66 R$70.4

-71.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.24 R$6.37

20.16%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$23.2K R$119.3K

14.80%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$31.4K R$161.8K

-13.95%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$64.2 R$331

59.66%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$15.43 R$79.5

-26.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$22.62 R$117

-23.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$19.47 R$100

167.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$30.35 R$156

-63.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.61 R$39.22

1.05%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$268 R$1,383

108.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$9,697 R$50.0K

18.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$53.4 R$275

17.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.19 R$186

-18.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$92.0 R$474

6.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$60.5 R$312

46.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$268 R$1,379

175.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$214 R$1,101

125.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$820 R$4,224

156.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$510 R$2,628

140.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,647 R$8,483

119.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,129 R$5,817

130.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$379 R$1,955

30.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.21

-50.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Sao Vicente: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $268 in Sao Vicente. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 30% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Sao Vicente. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $216, with Sao Vicente cheaper for home cooking.

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 Vicente: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Vicente is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $268 in Sao Vicente. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $268 in Sao Vicente. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $855 in Sao Vicente versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Vicente but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Vicente the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Vicente 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 Vicente 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 Vicente gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.