Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $949 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,532 in Belo Horizonte versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,115 in Belo Horizonte versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Belo Horizonte costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belo Horizonte 31% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 R$29.16

$4.56 ฿150

25.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.36 R$191

$32.62 ฿1,073

14.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 R$42.94

$8.90 ฿293

-5.39%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.18

$2.80 ฿92.2

-21.79%

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

$1.31 R$6.71

$0.88 ฿28.94

48.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.06

$0.49 ฿16.08

63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R$10.24

$2.39 ฿78.5

-15.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$17.61

$3.71 ฿122

-7.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.79 ฿58.8

-46.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 R$8.99

$1.44 ฿47.40

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.20

$1.58 ฿52.1

26.58%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.91

$2.13 ฿69.9

0.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 R$47.02

$19.92 ฿655

-53.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 R$20.56

$3.43 ฿113

17.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 R$36.44

$11.33 ฿372

-36.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R$9.64

$2.95 ฿97.0

-35.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.73

$1.72 ฿56.6

-34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.94

$2.32 ฿76.5

-49.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.82

$2.08 ฿68.4

-26.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.59

$1.47 ฿48.34

-25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.07

$1.36 ฿44.65

-27.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.90

$1.10 ฿36.13

-30.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.51

$0.57 ฿18.89

54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 R$12.15

$4.27 ฿140

-44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 R$40.23

$18.42 ฿606

-57.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$6.78

$1.87 ฿61.5

-28.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.48

$2.92 ฿96.1

-9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 R$6.21

$2.22 ฿73.0

-45.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 R$341

$22.90 ฿753

191.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 R$5.03

$3.03 ฿99.6

-67.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.53

$1.07 ฿35.32

-35.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 R$32.64

$3.93 ฿129

62.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.47

$1.49 ฿49.06

-14.77%

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

$22.7K R$115.7K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-16.41%

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

$30.7K R$156.6K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

11.88%

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

$74.0 R$377

$103 ฿3,380

-28.05%

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

$10.56 R$53.8

$10.99 ฿361

-3.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 R$105

$17.51 ฿576

17.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.81 R$137

$53.5 ฿1,760

-49.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.51 R$227

$11.20 ฿368

297.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 R$39.61

$7.48 ฿246

3.88%

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

$447 R$2,280

$557 ฿18.3K

-19.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K R$71.5K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

18.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R$298

$64.1 ฿2,107

-8.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.88 R$239

$29.07 ฿956

61.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$511

$96.0 ฿3,155

4.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 R$354

$90.3 ฿2,970

-23.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 R$2,820

$730 ฿24.0K

-24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 R$1,395

$500 ฿16.4K

-45.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 R$4,305

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-59.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 R$2,872

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-53.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,250 R$11.5K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-37.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 R$5,499

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-57.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 R$3,028

$503 ฿16.6K

17.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

5.57

101.97%

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

Last update for Belo Horizonte: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $553 in Belo Horizonte and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belo Horizonte pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Belo Horizonte vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $273, with Belo Horizonte 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

Belo Horizonte vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belo Horizonte and Phuket differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($949 vs $1,253 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Belo Horizonte, 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: $553 in Belo Horizonte versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $447 in Belo Horizonte 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 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $949 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte 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, Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.