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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,237 in Sao Tome versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,954 in Sao Tome versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,672 in Sao Tome versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Sao Tome costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Tome 10% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.37 STN 198

$4.56 ฿150

105.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.23 STN 975

$32.62 ฿1,072

41.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 STN 171

$8.90 ฿293

-8.65%

Cappuccino

$2.37 STN 50.1

$2.80 ฿92.2

-15.36%

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

$1.86 STN 39.18

$0.88 ฿28.93

111.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 STN 26.83

$0.49 ฿16.08

159.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 STN 36.24

$2.39 ฿78.5

-28.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 STN 40.43

$3.71 ฿122

-48.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 STN 34.94

$1.79 ฿58.7

-7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 STN 21.24

$1.44 ฿47.38

-29.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 STN 45.56

$1.58 ฿52.1

36.71%

Eggs

$5.07 STN 107

$2.13 ฿69.9

138.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.55 STN 434

$19.92 ฿655

3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.10 STN 424

$3.43 ฿113

486.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.81 STN 524

$11.33 ฿372

118.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 STN 81.8

$2.95 ฿96.9

31.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 STN 38.59

$1.72 ฿56.6

6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 STN 80.4

$2.32 ฿76.4

64.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 STN 77.5

$2.08 ฿68.4

76.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 STN 62.8

$1.47 ฿48.33

102.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 STN 52.5

$1.36 ฿44.64

83.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 STN 11.11

$1.10 ฿36.12

-51.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 STN 44.21

$0.57 ฿18.89

268.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 STN 48.69

$4.27 ฿140

-45.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 STN 177

$18.42 ฿605

-54.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 STN 33.23

$1.87 ฿61.5

-15.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 STN 36.74

$2.92 ฿96.0

-40.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 STN 30.72

$2.22 ฿72.9

-34.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 STN 35.68

$3.03 ฿99.6

-44.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 STN 55.9

$1.07 ฿35.31

147.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.38 STN 303

$3.93 ฿129

265.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 STN 38.33

$1.49 ฿49.04

22.15%

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

$26.0K STN 548.7K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

-4.14%

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

$32.6K STN 687.0K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

18.61%

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

$238 STN 5,014

$103 ฿3,379

131.16%

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

$32.55 STN 687

$10.99 ฿361

196.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 STN 1,472

$17.51 ฿576

298.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.06 STN 740

$53.5 ฿1,760

-34.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.12 STN 551

$11.20 ฿368

133.21%

Cinema Ticket

$20.63 STN 435

$7.48 ฿246

175.80%

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

$240 STN 5,055

$557 ฿18.3K

-56.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,261 STN 47.7K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-80.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.9 STN 1,623

$29.07 ฿956

164.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.38 STN 409

$90.3 ฿2,970

-78.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 STN 6,196

$730 ฿24.0K

-59.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 STN 4,191

$500 ฿16.4K

-60.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$953 STN 20.1K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-54.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 STN 9,569

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-62.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,886 STN 39.8K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-47.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,166 STN 24.6K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-53.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$274 STN 5,772

$503 ฿16.5K

-45.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

5.57

32.50%

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

Last update for Sao Tome: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $294 in Sao Tome and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 84% 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: $46.00 in Sao Tome vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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 Tome vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% 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: $294 in Sao Tome versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Sao Tome 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 Tome – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,237 in Sao Tome versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Tome but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Tome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Tome 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 Tome 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 Tome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.