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: $1,540 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,167 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,795 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sao Joao da Madeira is roughly 25% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Joao da Madeira is 15% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 €8.99

$4.63 ฿151

126.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.97 €17.95

$46.84 ฿1,532

-55.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 €7.00

$8.84 ฿289

-7.47%

Cappuccino

$1.19 €1.02

$3.00 ฿98.0

-60.33%

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

$1.14 €0.98

$0.74 ฿24.25

54.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$0.37 ฿11.95

183.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.44 ฿79.8

-7.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.01

$3.61 ฿118

-35.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 €0.81

$2.26 ฿73.9

-57.96%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 €0.31

$1.84 ฿60.1

-79.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 €0.97

$2.24 ฿73.4

-49.55%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.46

$2.32 ฿75.7

24.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.74 €7.48

$19.67 ฿643

-55.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 €4.86

$3.65 ฿119

55.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.11 €6.09

$13.10 ฿428

-45.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 €1.87

$3.39 ฿111

-35.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.64 ฿53.7

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.41 ฿79.0

-15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 €2.56

$2.03 ฿66.4

47.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.56 ฿50.9

-14.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 €1.59

$1.50 ฿48.94

24.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.02 ฿33.50

63.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.49 ฿16.00

81.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 €5.19

$4.45 ฿145

36.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.06 €5.18

$18.88 ฿617

-67.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 €0.97

$1.78 ฿58.1

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.32

$2.75 ฿90.1

-1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €1.99

$1.40 ฿45.81

65.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.56 €36.43

$11.48 ฿376

270.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 €3.76

$3.12 ฿102

41.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.00 ฿32.67

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.53 €12.44

$14.09 ฿461

3.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.35 ฿44.19

40.74%

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

$38.1K €32.6K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

40.30%

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

$40.1K €34.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

21.95%

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

$135 €115

$125 ฿4,087

7.66%

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

$21.59 €18.48

$13.57 ฿444

59.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.47 €35.49

$18.52 ฿606

123.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.71 €33.99

$61.5 ฿2,010

-35.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 €5.10

$9.19 ฿300

-35.15%

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

$345 €295

$698 ฿22.8K

-50.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,190 €7,010

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-47.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.1 €63.4

$57.8 ฿1,889

28.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.83 €28.96

$35.24 ฿1,152

-4.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.1 €78.8

$113 ฿3,699

-18.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €133

$86.4 ฿2,825

79.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 €796

$616 ฿20.1K

50.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 €617

$446 ฿14.6K

61.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 €1,264

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-27.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 €992

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-22.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,148 €2,695

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-16.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,211 €1,893

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-16.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,120 €959

$524 ฿17.1K

113.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

5.33

1.88%

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

Last update for Sao Joao da Madeira: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $930 in Sao Joao da Madeira and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Joao da Madeira pays 114% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $292 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 Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sao Joao da Madeira pays 114% more on average, 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: $930 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $345 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $698 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 49% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,540 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 25% less than in Sao Joao da Madeira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.