Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sete Lagoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sete Lagoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $654 in Sete Lagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,036 in Sete Lagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,418 in Sete Lagoas.

Living in Phuket is roughly 92% more expensive than in Sete Lagoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Sete Lagoas 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$5.63 R$28.82

-19.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$22.33 R$114

46.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.15 R$26.38

72.82%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$0.60 R$3.10

366.67%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.00 R$5.15

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.59 R$3.05

-16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.13 R$5.79

111.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$1.80 R$9.20

106.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$0.93 R$4.74

92.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$0.64 R$3.27

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.34 R$6.85

17.91%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.73 R$8.85

23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$5.89 R$30.17

238.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$2.80 R$14.37

22.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.87 R$40.34

43.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$0.98 R$5.00

201.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.15 R$5.91

49.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$0.56 R$2.89

314.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.92 R$4.71

126.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.62 R$3.20

137.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$0.60 R$3.06

126.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.54 R$2.79

103.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.56 R$2.89

1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$1.53 R$7.83

179.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$5.68 R$29.08

224.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$0.60 R$3.06

211.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$0.98 R$5.04

197.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.99 R$5.08

124.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$42.11 R$216

-45.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.40 R$2.07

657.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.30 R$1.55

256.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$7.86 R$40.28

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$0.93 R$4.78

60.22%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$13.4K R$68.4K

103.09%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$23.6K R$120.8K

16.43%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$48.43 R$248

112.27%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$9.88 R$50.6

11.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$18.13 R$92.9

-3.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$24.66 R$126

117.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$26.96 R$138

-58.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$3.80 R$19.48

96.84%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$115 R$587

385.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$2,538 R$13.0K

367.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$9.90 R$50.7

547.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$9.81 R$50.3

196.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$38.26 R$196

150.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$38.62 R$198

133.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$344 R$1,765

112.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$227 R$1,165

119.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$629 R$3,225

232.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$451 R$2,313

167.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,590 R$8,146

126.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,128 R$5,779

122.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$427 R$2,186

17.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.67

-47.80%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sete Lagoas: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $344 in Sete Lagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 18% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Sete Lagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $130 per month, with Sete Lagoas 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 Sete Lagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sete Lagoas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $344 in Sete Lagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $115 in Sete Lagoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 110% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $654 in Sete Lagoas versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sete Lagoas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sete Lagoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sete Lagoas 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 Sete Lagoas 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 Sete Lagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.