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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $779 in Sao Vicente versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,299 in Sao Vicente versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,819 in Sao Vicente versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Sao Vicente costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Vicente 42% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.48 R$27.76

$4.56 ฿149

20.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.89 R$161

$46.63 ฿1,519

-31.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 R$31.73

$8.47 ฿276

-25.97%

Cappuccino

$1.81 R$9.19

$3.03 ฿98.6

-40.26%

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

$1.20 R$6.06

$0.69 ฿22.45

73.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$3.98

$0.37 ฿11.92

113.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 R$9.28

$2.49 ฿81.0

-26.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.31

$3.66 ฿119

-28.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.08

$2.18 ฿71.0

-54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 R$8.94

$1.90 ฿62.0

-6.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.83

$2.20 ฿71.6

-38.64%

Eggs

$2.31 R$11.71

$2.22 ฿72.4

4.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 R$55.8

$19.99 ฿651

-44.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 R$20.75

$3.66 ฿119

12.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 R$41.69

$13.25 ฿432

-37.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R$8.95

$3.23 ฿105

-45.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.36

$1.70 ฿55.3

-25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.07

$2.39 ฿78.0

-41.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R$8.81

$2.08 ฿67.7

-16.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.68

$1.59 ฿51.8

-16.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.05

$1.48 ฿48.31

-6.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 R$5.17

$1.03 ฿33.54

-0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R$4.48

$0.52 ฿16.83

71.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.82 R$9.23

$4.25 ฿138

-57.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 R$39.74

$18.79 ฿612

-58.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R$6.91

$1.76 ฿57.2

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.89

$2.76 ฿89.8

-22.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R$4.88

$1.36 ฿44.32

-29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.76 R$196

$11.36 ฿370

241.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.65

$3.14 ฿102

-64.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 R$3.16

$1.04 ฿33.74

-39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 R$39.74

$13.77 ฿448

-42.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.43

$1.34 ฿43.79

-20.15%

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

$20.8K R$105.2K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-24.92%

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

$27.9K R$141.2K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-17.66%

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

$52.1 R$264

$124 ฿4,025

-57.83%

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

$16.52 R$83.7

$13.52 ฿440

22.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.17 R$112

$18.69 ฿609

18.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.93 R$90.8

$61.8 ฿2,013

-71.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.02 R$111

$17.25 ฿562

27.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 R$36.28

$9.14 ฿298

-21.55%

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

$282 R$1,426

$703 ฿22.9K

-59.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,010 R$40.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-49.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.48 R$235

$59.5 ฿1,937

-21.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.00 R$203

$35.07 ฿1,142

14.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 R$387

$115 ฿3,754

-33.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.3 R$280

$84.1 ฿2,737

-34.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 R$1,283

$619 ฿20.1K

-59.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 R$990

$433 ฿14.1K

-54.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 R$3,908

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-62.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 R$2,390

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-68.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,548 R$7,837

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-57.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,132 R$5,732

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-56.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$384 R$1,945

$507 ฿16.5K

-24.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.21

5.33

110.32%

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

Last update for Sao Vicente: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Sao Vicente and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% 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: $32.00 in Sao Vicente vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $200 vs $293 per month, with Sao Vicente 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 Vicente vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Vicente is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 32% less. 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: $253 in Sao Vicente versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Sao Vicente versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Sao Vicente versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Vicente but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Vicente the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Vicente 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 Vicente 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 Vicente gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.