Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: $835 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
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Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇧🇷 Brazil

$835

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $835 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $835
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,288 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,288
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,742 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP $1,742
Phuket $2,845

Living in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP costs roughly 31% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 38% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 R$22.44

$4.40 ฿147

0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.29 R$138

$32.26 ฿1,078

-15.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 R$45.98

$8.76 ฿293

3.54%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R$12.02

$2.83 ฿94.5

-16.25%

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

$1.32 R$6.69

$0.90 ฿30.14

46.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.06

$0.47 ฿15.56

70.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R$9.88

$2.55 ฿85.2

-23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 R$17.96

$3.83 ฿128

-7.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 R$4.34

$1.73 ฿57.7

-50.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 R$8.97

$1.47 ฿49.11

20.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$1.51 ฿50.6

-22.52%

Eggs

$2.03 R$10.28

$2.17 ฿72.7

-6.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 R$34.33

$19.70 ฿658

-65.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 R$21.48

$3.34 ฿112

26.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 R$33.73

$11.16 ฿373

-40.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$11.71

$2.85 ฿95.1

-18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.77

$1.70 ฿56.9

-32.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 R$4.20

$2.19 ฿73.3

-62.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.05

$2.05 ฿68.4

-32.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.45 ฿48.57

-10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.00

$1.38 ฿46.16

-14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 R$4.93

$1.07 ฿35.69

-9.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.19

$0.51 ฿16.91

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 R$9.95

$4.26 ฿142

-53.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 R$36.19

$18.58 ฿621

-61.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.78 ฿59.7

-38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R$11.77

$2.85 ฿95.2

-18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 R$5.63

$2.26 ฿75.6

-50.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.19 R$148

$22.10 ฿738

32.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 R$3.17

$3.01 ฿101

-79.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R$3.90

$1.06 ฿35.34

-27.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.81 R$34.50

$3.86 ฿129

76.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.11

$1.45 ฿48.45

-16.55%

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

$22.9K R$115.9K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-13.14%

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

$30.4K R$154.3K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

12.99%

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

$66.4 R$337

$96.4 ฿3,221

-31.13%

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

$13.68 R$69.4

$11.04 ฿369

23.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 R$96.0

$17.14 ฿573

10.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.99 R$111

$52.2 ฿1,744

-57.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.77 R$100

$11.16 ฿373

77.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 R$19.85

$7.81 ฿261

-49.81%

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

$274 R$1,390

$556 ฿18.6K

-50.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,947 R$40.3K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-31.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.5 R$332

$64.2 ฿2,146

2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.9 R$283

$28.69 ฿959

94.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 R$455

$95.4 ฿3,187

-5.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.32 R$230

$88.0 ฿2,940

-48.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 R$2,139

$737 ฿24.6K

-42.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 R$1,343

$462 ฿15.5K

-42.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 R$3,055

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-71.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$461 R$2,336

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-61.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,150 R$10.9K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-38.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$835 R$4,231

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-66.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$537 R$2,724

$501 ฿16.7K

7.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.23

5.57

47.76%

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

Last update for Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$265 31.7%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 74.6% $197

Groceries & Markets

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$171 20.5%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 56.8% $97

Eating Out

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$116 13.9%

Phuket

$121 10% 4.1% $4.8

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$115 13.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 7.7% $8.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$99 11.9%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 25.8% $26

Getting Around

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$38 4.6%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 3.5% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

$30 3.6%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 127% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $269 per month, with Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

17:52 5:52 PM

10 h ahead of Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

480,393

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP Phuket 16,270 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP
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

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP, 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: $422 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $835 in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP 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 Jose do Rio Preto SP gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.