Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat Thani and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $806 in Surat Thani versus $957 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,435 in Surat Thani versus $1,566 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,063 in Surat Thani versus $2,176 in Brasilia.

Living in Surat Thani costs roughly 16% less than in Brasilia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surat Thani 41% lower, Brasilia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ฿63.9

$8.61 R$43.93

-77.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.12 ฿596

$39.06 R$199

-53.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.48 ฿147

$8.00 R$40.79

-44.00%

Cappuccino

$1.52 ฿49.93

$2.55 R$12.98

-40.39%

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

$0.48 ฿15.69

$1.45 R$7.40

-66.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ฿9.85

$0.96 R$4.92

-68.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿82.6

$2.26 R$11.52

11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 ฿123

$3.89 R$19.85

-3.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 ฿60.6

$1.07 R$5.45

71.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 ฿39.99

$2.04 R$10.40

-40.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 ฿39.67

$1.26 R$6.42

-3.97%

Eggs

$1.95 ฿64.0

$2.44 R$12.45

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿644

$12.06 R$61.5

62.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.53 ฿116

$4.06 R$20.72

-13.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 ฿254

$8.24 R$42.05

-6.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿96.4

$2.34 R$11.96

25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿54.2

$1.42 R$7.24

16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.27 R$6.49

40.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.3

$1.65 R$8.44

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.19

$1.16 R$5.90

15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.45

$1.01 R$5.15

39.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ฿37.75

$0.83 R$4.23

38.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 ฿13.49

$0.98 R$4.98

-58.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ฿99.8

$2.39 R$12.16

27.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.08 ฿628

$7.99 R$40.75

138.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 ฿51.5

$1.30 R$6.64

20.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿58.9

$2.40 R$12.22

-25.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 ฿35.58

$0.92 R$4.67

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.27 ฿699

$35.15 R$179

-39.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ฿39.24

$1.05 R$5.36

13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 ฿20.82

$0.85 R$4.35

-25.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 ฿119

$5.97 R$30.43

-39.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 ฿41.17

$1.28 R$6.53

-2.34%

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

$27.0K ฿888.9K

$22.6K R$115.4K

19.51%

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

$27.7K ฿909.4K

$32.1K R$163.7K

-13.82%

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

$76.1 ฿2,502

$91.1 R$464

-16.43%

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

$11.50 ฿378

$12.43 R$63.4

-7.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.44 ฿573

$22.55 R$115

-22.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.94 ฿1,609

$31.51 R$161

55.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.57 ฿479

$26.35 R$134

-44.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 ฿150

$7.86 R$40.06

-42.11%

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

$574 ฿18.9K

$813 R$4,147

-29.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K ฿385.0K

$16.3K R$83.2K

-28.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 ฿2,138

$52.2 R$266

24.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.70 ฿976

$43.67 R$223

-31.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 ฿3,208

$82.7 R$422

17.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 ฿2,920

$86.5 R$441

2.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 ฿7,926

$500 R$2,551

-51.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 ฿5,002

$266 R$1,357

-42.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 ฿40.8K

$1,133 R$5,778

9.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 ฿23.5K

$562 R$2,865

27.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,026 ฿66.6K

$2,411 R$12.3K

-15.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,621 ฿53.3K

$1,705 R$8,695

-4.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 R$4,467

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.8

-52.80%

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

Last update for Surat Thani: August 31, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Surat Thani and $500 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18.00 in Surat Thani vs $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $209, with Brasilia 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

Surat Thani vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surat Thani and Brasilia differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($806 vs $957 including rent). Surat Thani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,209 in Surat Thani and $1,435 in Brasilia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $241 in Surat Thani versus $500 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Surat Thani – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $806 per month in Surat Thani versus $957 in Brasilia – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $806 in Surat Thani versus $957 in Brasilia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surat Thani but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Surat Thani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Surat Thani and Brasilia 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 Surat Thani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.