Cost of Living Comparison Between Montes Claros and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Montes Claros and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $735 in Montes Claros versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,194 in Montes Claros versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,653 in Montes Claros versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Montes Claros costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Montes Claros 45% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.18 R$15.86

$4.63 ฿151

-31.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.16 R$135

$46.84 ฿1,523

-42.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.35 R$31.63

$8.84 ฿287

-28.17%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R$8.87

$3.00 ฿97.4

-40.67%

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

$1.11 R$5.54

$0.74 ฿24.11

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.27

$0.37 ฿11.88

78.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.29 R$6.44

$2.44 ฿79.3

-47.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.58

$3.61 ฿117

-24.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.07

$2.26 ฿73.5

-54.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 R$7.42

$1.84 ฿59.8

-19.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.63

$2.24 ฿73.0

-49.55%

Eggs

$2.02 R$10.07

$2.32 ฿75.3

-12.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.36 R$41.64

$19.67 ฿639

-57.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 R$18.60

$3.65 ฿119

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.10 R$35.36

$13.10 ฿426

-45.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R$10.54

$3.39 ฿110

-37.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.48

$1.64 ฿53.4

-20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.65

$2.41 ฿78.5

-52.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.17

$2.03 ฿66.0

-29.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.77

$1.56 ฿50.6

-25.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.29

$1.50 ฿48.66

-29.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 R$3.66

$1.02 ฿33.30

-28.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.10

$0.49 ฿15.91

26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 R$10.69

$4.45 ฿145

-51.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 R$39.98

$18.88 ฿614

-57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R$6.12

$1.78 ฿57.7

-30.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R$9.86

$2.75 ฿89.5

-28.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.65

$1.40 ฿45.54

-47.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.45 R$191

$11.48 ฿373

234.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.28

$3.12 ฿101

-66.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$3.73

$1.00 ฿32.48

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 R$31.32

$14.09 ฿458

-55.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 R$4.91

$1.35 ฿43.93

-26.67%

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

$20.6K R$102.7K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-24.11%

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

$27.7K R$137.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-15.90%

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

$59.8 R$298

$125 ฿4,063

-52.19%

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

$13.63 R$67.9

$13.57 ฿441

0.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.09 R$90.1

$18.52 ฿602

-2.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.79 R$98.5

$61.5 ฿1,999

-67.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.05 R$110

$16.84 ฿547

30.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 R$31.55

$9.19 ฿299

-31.01%

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

$273 R$1,360

$698 ฿22.7K

-60.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,581 R$32.8K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-57.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.26 R$240

$57.8 ฿1,878

-16.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 R$212

$35.24 ฿1,146

20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$377

$113 ฿3,677

-33.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.8 R$318

$86.4 ฿2,808

-26.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 R$1,595

$616 ฿20.0K

-47.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 R$1,056

$446 ฿14.5K

-52.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 R$2,849

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-72.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 R$2,120

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-71.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,665 R$8,293

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-55.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 R$5,905

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-55.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$398 R$1,984

$524 ฿17.0K

-23.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

5.33

104.88%

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

Last update for Montes Claros: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $320 in Montes Claros and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 31% 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: $27.00 in Montes Claros vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $292 per month, with Montes Claros 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

Montes Claros vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montes Claros and Phuket differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($735 vs $1,232 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phuket earns 31% 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: $320 in Montes Claros versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montes Claros runs roughly 235% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $273 in Montes Claros versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $735 in Montes Claros versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros 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, Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.