Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,011 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,738 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,465 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Sao Caetano do Sul costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Caetano do Sul 26% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.45 R$43.02

$4.56 ฿151

85.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.22 R$205

$32.62 ฿1,082

23.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 R$41.27

$8.90 ฿295

-8.99%

Cappuccino

$2.22 R$11.30

$2.80 ฿93.0

-20.71%

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

$1.22 R$6.23

$0.88 ฿29.19

38.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.09

$0.49 ฿16.23

63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 R$11.59

$2.39 ฿79.2

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 R$18.57

$3.71 ฿123

-1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.79 ฿59.3

-33.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 R$10.75

$1.44 ฿47.81

46.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.99

$1.58 ฿52.6

-13.29%

Eggs

$2.74 R$13.93

$2.13 ฿70.5

28.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 R$57.0

$19.92 ฿661

-43.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 R$26.33

$3.43 ฿114

50.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 R$52.5

$11.33 ฿376

-8.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 R$11.67

$2.95 ฿97.8

-22.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.22

$1.72 ฿57.1

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.09

$2.32 ฿77.1

-31.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.12

$2.08 ฿69.0

-13.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.01

$1.47 ฿48.77

-6.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.12

$1.36 ฿45.05

-11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 R$4.90

$1.10 ฿36.45

-12.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.12

$0.57 ฿19.06

42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 R$11.99

$4.27 ฿142

-44.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.79 R$44.75

$18.42 ฿611

-52.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 R$8.17

$1.87 ฿62.1

-14.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$12.17

$2.92 ฿96.9

-18.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 R$1.90

$2.22 ฿73.6

-83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.47

$3.03 ฿101

-58.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R$4.77

$1.07 ฿35.63

-12.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 R$42.74

$3.93 ฿130

113.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.28

$1.49 ฿49.49

-17.45%

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

$23.0K R$117.0K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-15.35%

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

$31.0K R$158.1K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

13.06%

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

$100.0 R$509

$103 ฿3,410

-2.76%

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

$15.66 R$79.8

$10.99 ฿365

42.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.84 R$111

$17.51 ฿581

24.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 R$249

$53.5 ฿1,776

-8.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.26 R$225

$11.20 ฿371

295.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.56 R$48.71

$7.48 ฿248

27.81%

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

$430 R$2,189

$557 ฿18.5K

-22.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,663 R$49.2K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-18.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 R$314

$64.1 ฿2,125

-3.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 R$284

$29.07 ฿964

91.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 R$481

$96.0 ฿3,183

-1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 R$425

$90.3 ฿2,997

-7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 R$2,070

$730 ฿24.2K

-44.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 R$1,534

$500 ฿16.6K

-39.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 R$4,124

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-61.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 R$4,179

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-32.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,779 R$9,060

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-50.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,405 R$7,154

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-44.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 R$4,619

$503 ฿16.7K

80.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

5.57

94.08%

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

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $406 in Sao Caetano do Sul and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Caetano do Sul pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $273, with Sao Caetano do Sul cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sao Caetano do Sul vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Caetano do Sul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 80% higher in Sao Caetano do Sul, 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: $406 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $430 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,011 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Caetano do Sul but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Caetano do Sul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Caetano do Sul 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, Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.