Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $857 in Sao Luis versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,298 in Sao Luis versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,739 in Sao Luis versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Sao Luis costs roughly 32% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Luis 38% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.40 R$32.63

$4.56 ฿150

40.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.07 R$194

$32.62 ฿1,073

16.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 R$34.54

$8.90 ฿293

-23.93%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R$11.08

$2.80 ฿92.2

-22.50%

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

$1.23 R$6.28

$0.88 ฿28.94

39.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.40

$0.49 ฿16.08

36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 R$9.77

$2.39 ฿78.5

-19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R$11.85

$3.71 ฿122

-37.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.42

$1.79 ฿58.8

-40.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.37

$1.44 ฿47.40

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.40

$1.58 ฿52.1

-32.91%

Eggs

$2.07 R$10.57

$2.13 ฿69.9

-2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 R$50.1

$19.92 ฿655

-50.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.14 R$21.09

$3.43 ฿113

20.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 R$37.74

$11.33 ฿372

-34.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.31

$2.95 ฿97.0

-31.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.77

$1.72 ฿56.6

-22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.92

$2.32 ฿76.5

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.29

$2.08 ฿68.4

-21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.82

$1.47 ฿48.34

-8.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.36 ฿44.65

-8.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 R$4.32

$1.10 ฿36.13

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.52

$0.57 ฿18.89

21.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 R$11.90

$4.27 ฿140

-45.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.04 R$41.02

$18.42 ฿606

-56.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.34

$1.87 ฿61.5

-33.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.01

$2.92 ฿96.1

-26.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$3.93

$2.22 ฿73.0

-65.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.05 R$194

$22.90 ฿753

66.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.75

$3.03 ฿99.6

-69.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.61

$1.07 ฿35.32

-15.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.98

$1.49 ฿49.06

-21.48%

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

$23.2K R$118.2K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-14.54%

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

$29.0K R$148.1K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

5.77%

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

$93.1 R$475

$103 ฿3,380

-9.48%

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

$16.90 R$86.2

$10.99 ฿361

53.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 R$105

$17.51 ฿576

17.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.76 R$101

$53.5 ฿1,760

-63.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 R$74.0

$11.20 ฿368

29.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 R$38.48

$7.48 ฿246

0.94%

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

$222 R$1,135

$557 ฿18.3K

-60.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,659 R$23.8K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-60.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.59 R$243

$64.1 ฿2,107

-25.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 R$257

$29.07 ฿956

73.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.7 R$289

$96.0 ฿3,155

-40.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.1 R$291

$90.3 ฿2,970

-36.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,749

$730 ฿24.0K

-53.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,138

$500 ฿16.4K

-55.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 R$2,769

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-74.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 R$1,614

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-73.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,474 R$7,519

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-59.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 R$3,529

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-72.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$375 R$1,911

$503 ฿16.6K

-25.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Sao Luis: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $343 in Sao Luis and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 34% 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: $38.00 in Sao Luis vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $273, with Sao Luis 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 Luis vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Luis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $343 in Sao Luis versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Sao Luis versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $857 in Sao Luis versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Luis 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 Luis 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 Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.