Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Friburgo and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Friburgo: $608 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Nova Friburgo
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Nova Friburgo Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Nova Friburgo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$608

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nova Friburgo 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 Nova Friburgo and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Nova Friburgo $608
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,017 in Nova Friburgo versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Nova Friburgo $1,017
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,426 in Nova Friburgo versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Nova Friburgo $1,426
Phuket $2,845

Living in Nova Friburgo costs roughly 50% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nova Friburgo 55% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.05 R$30.66

$4.40 ฿147

37.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.82 R$151

$32.26 ฿1,078

-7.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.36 R$32.25

$8.76 ฿293

-27.40%

Cappuccino

$1.75 R$8.88

$2.83 ฿94.5

-38.16%

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

$0.91 R$4.61

$0.90 ฿30.14

1.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.47 ฿15.56

21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 R$6.17

$2.55 ฿85.2

-52.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.28

$3.83 ฿128

-36.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.15

$1.73 ฿57.7

-41.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 R$7.55

$1.47 ฿49.11

1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.94

$1.51 ฿50.6

-9.27%

Eggs

$1.97 R$9.98

$2.17 ฿72.7

-9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 R$44.51

$19.70 ฿658

-55.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 R$16.84

$3.34 ฿112

-0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 R$48.83

$11.16 ฿373

-13.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.25

$2.85 ฿95.1

-42.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.09

$1.70 ฿56.9

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.96

$2.19 ฿73.3

-55.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.41

$2.05 ฿68.4

-38.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 R$3.56

$1.45 ฿48.57

-51.72%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.37

$1.38 ฿46.16

-37.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 R$2.90

$1.07 ฿35.69

-46.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 R$4.14

$0.51 ฿16.91

60.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 R$7.94

$4.26 ฿142

-63.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 R$30.60

$18.58 ฿621

-67.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$4.90

$1.78 ฿59.7

-45.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.95

$2.85 ฿95.2

-51.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.98

$2.26 ฿75.6

-56.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 R$6.12

$3.01 ฿101

-59.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 R$2.77

$1.06 ฿35.34

-48.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.71 R$34.02

$3.86 ฿129

73.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.45 ฿48.45

-11.72%

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

$19.7K R$99.7K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-25.30%

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

$30.5K R$154.5K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

13.13%

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

$40.04 R$203

$96.4 ฿3,221

-58.46%

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

$9.52 R$48.26

$11.04 ฿369

-13.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 R$95.2

$17.14 ฿573

9.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.63 R$110

$52.2 ฿1,744

-58.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$6.84 R$34.69

$7.81 ฿261

-12.42%

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

$142 R$719

$556 ฿18.6K

-74.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,604 R$13.2K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-77.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 R$348

$64.2 ฿2,146

6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$83.6 R$424

$28.69 ฿959

191.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 R$340

$95.4 ฿3,187

-29.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$47.52 R$241

$88.0 ฿2,940

-45.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 R$789

$737 ฿24.6K

-78.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$99.8 R$506

$462 ฿15.5K

-78.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 R$2,005

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-81.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 R$1,195

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-80.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 R$7,998

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-54.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$785 R$3,980

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-68.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 R$2,542

$501 ฿16.7K

0.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

5.57

91.56%

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

Last update for Nova Friburgo: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nova Friburgo

$171 28.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 56.7% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Nova Friburgo

$120 19.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 3.5% $4.3

Eating Out

Nova Friburgo

$105 17.3%

Phuket

$121 10% 15.1% $16

Accommodation & Living

Nova Friburgo

$100 16.4%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 363% $363

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nova Friburgo

$68 11.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 82.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Nova Friburgo

$35 5.8%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 92% $32

Getting Around

Nova Friburgo

$7.9 * 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 401% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $156 in Nova Friburgo and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nova Friburgo pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Nova Friburgo vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $269 per month, with Nova Friburgo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Nova Friburgo

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

19:32 7:32 PM

10 h ahead of Nova Friburgo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

189,939

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nova Friburgo Phuket 15,540 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Nova Friburgo
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

Nova Friburgo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nova Friburgo wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nova Friburgo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Nova Friburgo, 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: $156 in Nova Friburgo versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $608 per month in Nova Friburgo versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $608 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nova Friburgo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Friburgo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nova Friburgo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $608 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nova Friburgo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Nova Friburgo 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 Nova Friburgo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.