Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Andre and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Santo Andre and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $776 in Santo Andre versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,241 in Santo Andre versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,707 in Santo Andre versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santo Andre costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santo Andre 42% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 R$35.91

$4.55 ฿153

54.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.02 R$168

$46.18 ฿1,553

-28.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 R$34.25

$8.84 ฿297

-23.87%

Cappuccino

$1.79 R$9.13

$3.06 ฿103

-41.50%

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

$1.25 R$6.36

$0.73 ฿24.40

71.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R$4.16

$0.40 ฿13.39

105.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R$11.30

$2.43 ฿81.8

-8.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 R$14.60

$3.78 ฿127

-24.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.19

$2.26 ฿76.0

-54.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 R$9.28

$1.81 ฿60.9

0.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.61

$2.25 ฿75.8

-42.22%

Eggs

$2.33 R$11.86

$2.25 ฿75.5

3.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 R$51.2

$19.51 ฿656

-48.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.16 R$21.20

$3.65 ฿123

13.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.19 R$41.71

$13.05 ฿439

-37.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R$10.89

$3.23 ฿109

-33.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.26

$1.62 ฿54.4

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.97

$2.38 ฿80.1

-42.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.81

$2.03 ฿68.1

-14.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.31

$1.53 ฿51.6

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.33

$1.50 ฿50.5

-17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 R$4.76

$0.98 ฿32.91

-5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.23

$0.52 ฿17.39

21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 R$9.09

$4.44 ฿149

-59.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.94 R$20.05

$18.32 ฿616

-78.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.63

$1.86 ฿62.7

-30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 R$11.78

$2.68 ฿90.1

-13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.47

$1.41 ฿47.46

-37.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.21 R$195

$11.70 ฿393

226.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$3.11 ฿105

-64.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$3.83

$1.04 ฿35.06

-27.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.72 R$39.33

$14.11 ฿474

-45.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.23

$1.31 ฿44.10

-21.37%

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

$21.7K R$110.4K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-22.02%

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

$28.9K R$147.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-12.88%

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

$54.6 R$278

$122 ฿4,118

-55.38%

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

$13.34 R$67.9

$13.59 ฿457

-1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.32 R$103

$18.70 ฿629

8.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.30 R$119

$60.5 ฿2,034

-61.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 R$97.3

$16.98 ฿571

12.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.41 R$37.71

$9.07 ฿305

-18.30%

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

$325 R$1,655

$706 ฿23.8K

-53.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,617 R$43.9K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-45.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 R$262

$58.6 ฿1,969

-11.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.24 R$230

$35.36 ฿1,189

27.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 R$386

$115 ฿3,883

-34.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 R$372

$83.7 ฿2,816

-12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,254

$626 ฿21.0K

-60.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$164 R$833

$445 ฿15.0K

-63.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 R$2,433

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-76.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 R$1,616

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-78.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,629 R$8,292

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-53.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,213 R$6,174

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-52.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$611 R$3,111

$500 ฿16.8K

22.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

5.33

109.57%

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

Last update for Santo Andre: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $246 in Santo Andre and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Andre pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Santo Andre vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $289 per month, with Santo Andre 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

Santo Andre vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santo Andre is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Santo Andre, 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: $246 in Santo Andre versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in Santo Andre versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $776 in Santo Andre versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santo Andre but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Andre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santo Andre 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, Santo Andre and Phuket 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 Santo Andre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.