Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Madeira and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Joao da Madeira and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,550 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,858 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Sao Joao da Madeira is roughly 26% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Joao da Madeira is 13% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.57 €9.21

$4.41 ฿147

139.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.14 €18.43

$32.26 ฿1,077

-34.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 €7.13

$8.93 ฿298

-8.40%

Cappuccino

$1.15 €1.00

$2.90 ฿96.6

-60.34%

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

$1.15 €1.00

$0.88 ฿29.38

30.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.88

$0.48 ฿16.06

110.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.11

$2.35 ฿78.5

51.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.04

$3.72 ฿124

-37.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 €0.84

$1.87 ฿62.3

-48.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 €0.32

$1.47 ฿48.94

-74.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.55 ฿51.8

-27.10%

Eggs

$2.77 €2.42

$2.10 ฿70.1

31.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 €7.77

$19.59 ฿654

-54.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 €5.14

$3.42 ฿114

72.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.94 €6.05

$11.38 ฿380

-39.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.89

$2.98 ฿99.6

-27.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.68 ฿56.2

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.21 ฿73.7

-13.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.50

$2.16 ฿72.1

32.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.52 ฿50.9

31.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.34 ฿44.67

45.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.13 ฿37.67

11.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.81

$0.55 ฿18.24

69.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 €5.88

$4.26 ฿142

58.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 €4.07

$19.09 ฿637

-75.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.78 ฿59.4

-29.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.46

$2.78 ฿92.9

-39.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 €1.78

$2.23 ฿74.4

-8.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.36 €42.15

$22.74 ฿759

112.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.54 €3.96

$3.03 ฿101

49.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.02 ฿34.15

77.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.90 €14.73

$3.89 ฿130

334.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.49 ฿49.77

24.83%

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

$34.8K €30.4K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

31.10%

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

$40.1K €35.0K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

48.47%

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

$115 €100

$102 ฿3,420

11.97%

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

$18.40 €16.04

$11.33 ฿378

62.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.70 €40.71

$17.40 ฿581

168.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.49 €33.55

$52.1 ฿1,738

-26.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.77 €15.49

$11.07 ฿370

60.52%

Cinema Ticket

$5.71 €4.98

$7.69 ฿257

-25.75%

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

$342 €298

$561 ฿18.7K

-39.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K €8,801

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-12.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 €59.3

$63.0 ฿2,104

8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.75 €32.91

$29.52 ฿986

27.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €75.5

$98.0 ฿3,272

-11.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 €86.7

$88.5 ฿2,954

12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 €851

$738 ฿24.6K

32.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$801 €698

$482 ฿16.1K

66.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 €1,393

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-24.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 €1,048

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-1.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,083 €2,688

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-14.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,313 €2,017

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-11.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,089 €949

$494 ฿16.5K

120.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

5.57

-36.27%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $976 in Sao Joao da Madeira and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Joao da Madeira pays 121% 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: $21.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $274 per month, with Sao Joao da Madeira 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

Sao Joao da Madeira vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 121% higher in Sao Joao da Madeira, 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: $976 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $342 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sao Joao da Madeira pay roughly 42% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,550 in Sao Joao da Madeira, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sao Joao da Madeira. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Joao da Madeira, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Sao Joao da Madeira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.