Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz do Sul and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $866 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$866

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Cruz do Sul and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santa Cruz do Sul and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Santa Cruz do Sul $866
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,393 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Santa Cruz do Sul $1,393
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,919 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Santa Cruz do Sul $1,919
Phuket $3,115

Living in Santa Cruz do Sul costs roughly 33% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Cruz do Sul 36% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 R$30.00

$4.39 ฿147

25.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.04 R$197

$32.31 ฿1,085

11.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 R$34.41

$8.70 ฿292

-27.59%

Cappuccino

$2.33 R$12.70

$2.72 ฿91.5

-14.34%

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

$1.24 R$6.77

$0.93 ฿31.25

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 R$5.59

$0.50 ฿16.78

104.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R$12.27

$2.53 ฿85.0

-11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 R$14.77

$3.63 ฿122

-25.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 R$4.94

$1.74 ฿58.4

-47.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 R$8.34

$1.45 ฿48.73

5.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.35

$1.50 ฿50.5

-34.67%

Eggs

$2.21 R$12.05

$2.17 ฿73.0

1.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.89 R$54.0

$19.09 ฿641

-48.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 R$23.89

$3.40 ฿114

28.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.10 R$49.68

$10.90 ฿366

-16.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 R$12.19

$2.94 ฿98.8

-24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 R$7.39

$1.69 ฿56.8

-20.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.79

$2.19 ฿73.7

-43.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 R$8.05

$2.12 ฿71.4

-30.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$6.04

$1.46 ฿48.99

-23.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.50

$1.37 ฿45.95

-26.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.31

$1.08 ฿36.14

-26.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$4.01

$0.55 ฿18.32

34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 R$12.44

$4.43 ฿149

-48.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 R$40.07

$18.25 ฿613

-59.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.94

$1.77 ฿59.5

-38.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 R$10.86

$2.88 ฿96.8

-30.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.14

$1.45 ฿48.62

-35.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 R$7.20

$1.51 ฿50.8

-12.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$4.01

$0.78 ฿26.06

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.69 R$41.99

$3.84 ฿129

100.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.68

$1.49 ฿49.96

-18.12%

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

$21.7K R$118.5K

$26.9K ฿902.9K

-19.28%

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

$32.3K R$176.2K

$26.3K ฿884.9K

22.48%

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

$72.7 R$397

$97.8 ฿3,285

-25.64%

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

$11.41 R$62.3

$11.29 ฿379

1.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.47 R$112

$17.19 ฿577

19.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.21 R$143

$68.3 ฿2,295

-61.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 R$36.79

$7.43 ฿250

-9.29%

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

$520 R$2,838

$530 ฿17.8K

-1.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K R$124.7K

$18.8K ฿630.9K

21.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.12 R$252

$61.7 ฿2,072

-25.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 R$290

$28.25 ฿949

88.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 R$514

$96.0 ฿3,225

-1.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 R$400

$86.8 ฿2,916

-15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 R$2,862

$721 ฿24.2K

-27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 R$1,570

$509 ฿17.1K

-43.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 R$4,860

$1,950 ฿65.5K

-54.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 R$3,224

$1,397 ฿46.9K

-57.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$372 R$2,029

$492 ฿16.5K

-24.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

5.57

106.46%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz do Sul

$288 33.2%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 76.9% $221

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz do Sul

$189 21.8%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 41.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz do Sul

$120 13.9%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 2.3% $2.7

Eating Out

Santa Cruz do Sul

$116 13.5%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 2.6% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz do Sul

$105 12.1%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 20.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz do Sul

$40 4.6%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 110% $43

Getting Around

Santa Cruz do Sul

$8.8 * 1%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 655% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $524 in Santa Cruz do Sul and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% 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: $36 in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $189 vs $267, with Santa Cruz do Sul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

14:47 2:47 PM

10 h ahead of Santa Cruz do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,246

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Cruz do Sul Phuket 16,120 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz do Sul
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Santa Cruz do Sul vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz do Sul is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Santa Cruz do Sul. 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: $524 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $520 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $36 in Santa Cruz do Sul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz do Sul but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz do Sul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Santa Cruz do Sul wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.