Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taubate Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Taubate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $719 in Taubate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,133 in Taubate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,546 in Taubate.

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than in Taubate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Taubate 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.26 R$26.77

-13.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$35.58 R$181

29.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.11 R$31.12

44.68%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.92 R$9.76

59.38%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.18 R$6.02

-38.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.68 R$3.45

-41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.85 R$9.43

31.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.78 R$14.14

35.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.98 R$5.00

130.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.78 R$9.05

1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.40 R$7.14

60.71%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.94 R$9.88

15.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.13 R$41.37

139.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.52 R$17.92

3.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.26 R$36.96

79.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.93 R$9.81

67.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.51 R$7.68

7.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.27 R$6.49

87.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.50 R$7.65

35.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.27 R$6.48

20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.10 R$5.62

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.69 R$3.50

42.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.61 R$3.09

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.95 R$9.95

127.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.98 R$40.63

129.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.21 R$6.17

53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.14 R$10.88

25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.88 R$4.47

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$14.42 R$73.4

-18.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.07 R$5.47

190.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.69 R$3.54

50.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$7.50 R$38.18

88.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.96 R$4.88

36.46%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$20.1K R$102.4K

38.36%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.9K R$141.9K

19.16%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$82.8 R$421

47.96%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.61 R$43.84

57.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$19.17 R$97.6

-2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$21.19 R$108

185.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$10.61 R$54.0

60.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.44 R$32.77

40.84%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$324 R$1,647

118.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,442 R$27.7K

190.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$45.81 R$233

27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$41.65 R$212

-15.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$75.7 R$385

52.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$57.1 R$291

46.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$240 R$1,221

160.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$174 R$884

156.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$494 R$2,515

312.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$302 R$1,539

393.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,608 R$8,188

116.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,147 R$5,841

124.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$563 R$2,864

-11.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.33

-52.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Taubate: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $240 in Taubate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taubate pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Taubate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $178 per month, with Taubate 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 Taubate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taubate is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Taubate. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $240 in Taubate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $324 in Taubate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $719 in Taubate versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taubate but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Taubate the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Taubate 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 Taubate 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 Taubate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.