Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sorocaba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sorocaba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $679 in Sorocaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,108 in Sorocaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,538 in Sorocaba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 86% more expensive than Sorocaba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sorocaba 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.42 R$27.13

-13.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$26.06 R$130

74.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.33 R$26.67

58.16%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.59 R$7.95

84.28%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.25 R$6.27

-44.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.52 R$2.59

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.84 R$9.20

30.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.39 R$16.98

9.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.86 R$4.30

159.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.59 R$7.94

15.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.88 R$4.39

146.59%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.01 R$10.08

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.15 R$40.77

142.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.71 R$18.56

-2.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.61 R$28.06

141.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.18 R$10.89

50.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.65 R$8.27

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.00 R$4.99

141.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.18 R$5.91

76.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.16 R$5.79

31.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.13 R$5.63

30.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.68 R$3.41

45.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.61 R$3.04

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.74 R$13.72

60.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$5.88 R$29.45

229.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.00 R$5.03

78.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.72 R$8.61

57.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.82 R$4.11

67.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$37.24 R$186

-69.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.87 R$4.36

247.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.29 R$1.44

241.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.34 R$31.71

122.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.00 R$5.03

36.00%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$22.2K R$111.2K

26.97%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.8K R$144.0K

14.35%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$47.33 R$237

157.13%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$11.72 R$58.6

15.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$15.97 R$79.9

14.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$22.95 R$115

162.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$8.92 R$44.66

92.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.49 R$27.46

58.29%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$318 R$1,594

117.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,015 R$25.1K

212.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$37.44 R$187

59.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$50.6 R$253

-31.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$78.8 R$394

45.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$69.1 R$346

20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$213 R$1,068

187.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$165 R$824

165.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$427 R$2,138

390.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$366 R$1,832

312.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,851 R$9,261

102.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,324 R$6,625

97.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$433 R$2,165

17.45%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sorocaba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $213 in Sorocaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Sorocaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $162 per month, with Sorocaba 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 Sorocaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sorocaba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 17% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $213 in Sorocaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $318 in Sorocaba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $679 in Sorocaba versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sorocaba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sorocaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sorocaba 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 Sorocaba 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 Sorocaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.