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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $756 in Sao Vicente.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,287 in Sao Vicente.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,817 in Sao Vicente.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in Sao Vicente, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Sao Vicente 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.53 R$28.07

-18.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$32.33 R$164

41.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.38 R$32.39

37.30%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.81 R$9.17

64.09%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.23 R$6.25

-43.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.83 R$4.20

-53.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.81 R$9.19

39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.75 R$13.98

36.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.01 R$5.13

112.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.76 R$8.95

3.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.37 R$6.96

59.12%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.27 R$11.54

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.00 R$55.8

81.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.10 R$20.78

-11.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.59 R$43.58

57.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.78 R$9.01

82.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.21 R$6.13

35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.38 R$7.03

68.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.65 R$8.39

25.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.32 R$6.70

17.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.38 R$7.01

5.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.02 R$5.18

-3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.89 R$4.50

-46.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.84 R$9.33

136.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.99 R$40.57

132.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.43 R$7.24

30.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.08 R$10.53

27.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.91 R$4.63

56.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$39.09 R$198

-70.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.12 R$5.68

183.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.57 R$2.90

80.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$7.54 R$38.27

84.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.08 R$5.49

24.07%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.7K R$105.2K

34.00%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.5K R$144.8K

16.95%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$51.3 R$260

140.10%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$16.16 R$82.0

-14.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$21.93 R$111

-16.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$18.11 R$91.9

235.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$21.68 R$110

-20.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$7.07 R$35.87

25.46%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$279 R$1,417

146.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,967 R$40.4K

98.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$46.23 R$235

28.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$40.38 R$205

-14.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$75.9 R$385

51.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$55.2 R$280

51.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$256 R$1,302

142.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$200 R$1,016

122.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$766 R$3,889

165.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$462 R$2,344

223.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,609 R$8,165

114.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,149 R$5,831

120.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$395 R$2,004

25.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.21

-52.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sao Vicente: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $256 in Sao Vicente. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 25% 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 $32.00 in Sao Vicente for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $200 per month, with Sao Vicente 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 Vicente: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Vicente is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $256 in Sao Vicente. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $279 in Sao Vicente. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $756 in Sao Vicente versus $1,264 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 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.