Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Itajubá, MG and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Itajubá, MG: $865 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Itajubá, MG
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Itajubá, MG Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Itajubá, MG

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Itajubá, MG and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Itajubá, MG and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $865 in Itajubá, MG versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Itajubá, MG $865
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Itajubá, MG versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Itajubá, MG $1,275
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,685 in Itajubá, MG versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Itajubá, MG $1,685
Phuket $3,154

Living in Itajubá, MG costs roughly 32% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Itajubá, MG 36% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 R$24.54

$4.47 ฿151

0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.39 R$127

$32.41 ฿1,093

-27.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 R$24.94

$8.81 ฿297

-48.01%

Cappuccino

$1.23 R$6.70

$2.83 ฿95.4

-56.54%

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

$1.15 R$6.23

$0.87 ฿29.41

32.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.51

$0.49 ฿16.65

30.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 R$9.90

$2.56 ฿86.3

-28.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 R$16.37

$3.68 ฿124

-18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.59

$1.66 ฿55.9

-37.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.74

$1.46 ฿49.31

10.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 R$5.20

$1.50 ฿50.5

-36.00%

Eggs

$2.24 R$12.20

$2.09 ฿70.5

7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 R$58.3

$19.07 ฿643

-43.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$19.77

$3.30 ฿111

10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 R$40.56

$10.91 ฿368

-31.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 R$15.55

$2.93 ฿98.9

-2.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.51

$1.69 ฿57.0

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.62

$2.25 ฿75.8

-54.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 R$10.06

$2.08 ฿70.0

-11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.79

$1.51 ฿51.0

-29.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.74

$1.38 ฿46.52

-23.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 R$3.64

$1.07 ฿35.96

-37.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.50

$0.52 ฿17.51

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$16.37

$4.20 ฿142

-28.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 R$43.26

$18.79 ฿634

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$6.38

$1.82 ฿61.5

-35.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 R$8.81

$2.84 ฿95.8

-42.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$5.32

$1.45 ฿48.98

-32.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.56 R$242

$56.7 ฿1,912

-21.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.53

$3.02 ฿102

-60.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R$4.86

$1.02 ฿34.33

-12.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.93 R$48.59

$3.69 ฿125

142.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$6.06

$1.47 ฿49.76

-24.49%

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

$23.2K R$125.9K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-13.53%

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

$33.3K R$181.2K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

24.78%

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

$131 R$711

$96.4 ฿3,251

35.70%

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

$10.89 R$59.2

$11.26 ฿380

-3.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.75 R$102

$16.85 ฿568

11.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.47 R$84.1

$67.2 ฿2,268

-76.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.22 R$148

$10.73 ฿362

153.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.92 R$43.06

$7.50 ฿253

5.60%

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

$586 R$3,186

$476 ฿16.1K

23.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$71.9K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

17.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.57 R$226

$62.4 ฿2,104

-33.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.41 R$263

$28.41 ฿958

70.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 R$399

$94.3 ฿3,181

-22.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.8 R$363

$85.8 ฿2,895

-22.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$350 R$1,905

$716 ฿24.2K

-51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 R$1,302

$491 ฿16.6K

-51.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 R$2,858

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-72.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$357 R$1,941

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-75.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,670 R$9,083

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-60.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 R$6,336

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-61.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$298 R$1,620

$502 ฿16.9K

-40.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

5.57

114.18%

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

Last update for Itajubá, MG: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Itajubá, MG

$239 27.7%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 105% $252

Groceries & Markets

Itajubá, MG

$190 21.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 40.4% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Itajubá, MG

$160 18.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 22.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Itajubá, MG

$104 12%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 17.7% $18

Eating Out

Itajubá, MG

$87 10%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 40% $35

Getting Around

Itajubá, MG

$54 6.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 30.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Itajubá, MG

$31 3.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 163% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Itajubá, MG and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $23 in Itajubá, MG vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $266 per month, with Itajubá, MG cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Itajubá, MG

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

05:15 5:15 AM

10 h ahead of Itajubá, MG

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,073

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Itajubá, MG Phuket 15,830 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Itajubá, MG
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Itajubá, MG vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $865 in Itajubá, MG and $1,278 in Phuket, so Itajubá, MG is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Itajubá, MG. 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: $350 in Itajubá, MG versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $586 in Itajubá, MG versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $865 in Itajubá, MG versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Itajubá, MG but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Itajubá, MG 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, Itajubá, MG and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Itajubá, MG 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.