Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Iguacu and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $699 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
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Nova Iguacu Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$699

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $699 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Nova Iguacu $699
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,148 in Nova Iguacu versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Nova Iguacu $1,148
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,596 in Nova Iguacu versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Nova Iguacu $1,596
Phuket $3,154

Living in Nova Iguacu costs roughly 45% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nova Iguacu 49% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 R$18.37

$4.47 ฿151

-24.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.04 R$152

$32.41 ฿1,092

-13.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.49 R$40.71

$8.81 ฿297

-14.98%

Cappuccino

$1.85 R$10.04

$2.83 ฿95.3

-34.63%

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

$1.11 R$6.02

$0.87 ฿29.37

27.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 R$3.02

$0.49 ฿16.64

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 R$8.78

$2.56 ฿86.2

-36.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 R$7.96

$3.68 ฿124

-60.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R$6.37

$1.66 ฿55.9

-29.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 R$8.17

$1.46 ฿49.25

2.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.81

$1.50 ฿50.4

-28.67%

Eggs

$1.91 R$10.41

$2.09 ฿70.4

-8.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 R$41.01

$19.07 ฿642

-60.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 R$14.62

$3.30 ฿111

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.67 R$36.24

$10.91 ฿368

-38.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.99

$2.93 ฿98.7

-55.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.91

$1.69 ฿56.9

-24.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 R$5.29

$2.25 ฿75.7

-56.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R$9.15

$2.08 ฿70.0

-19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 R$5.29

$1.51 ฿50.9

-35.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 R$5.14

$1.38 ฿46.47

-31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.36 R$1.93

$1.07 ฿35.91

-66.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.35 R$1.92

$0.52 ฿17.49

-32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 R$9.69

$4.20 ฿142

-57.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 R$30.56

$18.79 ฿633

-70.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$5.13

$1.82 ฿61.4

-48.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.95

$2.84 ฿95.7

-54.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 R$7.48

$1.45 ฿48.93

-4.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.02 R$256

$56.7 ฿1,909

-17.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.69

$3.02 ฿102

-59.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 R$6.88

$1.02 ฿34.29

24.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.98 R$48.81

$3.69 ฿124

143.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.75

$1.47 ฿49.70

-27.89%

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

$22.0K R$119.5K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

-17.89%

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

$31.5K R$171.1K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

17.92%

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

$40.25 R$219

$96.4 ฿3,247

-58.23%

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

$11.14 R$60.6

$11.26 ฿380

-1.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.78 R$91.2

$16.85 ฿568

-0.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.27 R$121

$67.2 ฿2,266

-66.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.96 R$206

$10.73 ฿361

253.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.47 R$29.73

$7.50 ฿253

-27.07%

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

$70.9 R$386

$476 ฿16.0K

-85.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,808 R$9,831

$11.3K ฿379.6K

-83.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 R$284

$62.4 ฿2,102

-16.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.91 R$195

$28.41 ฿957

26.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 R$327

$94.3 ฿3,178

-36.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 R$303

$85.8 ฿2,892

-34.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 R$1,665

$716 ฿24.1K

-57.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 R$1,124

$491 ฿16.5K

-57.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 R$3,255

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-68.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 R$2,308

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-70.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$905 R$4,922

$4,175 ฿140.7K

-78.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$230 R$1,248

$502 ฿16.9K

-54.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

5.57

99.64%

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

Last update for Nova Iguacu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nova Iguacu

$207 29.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 138% $284

Groceries & Markets

Nova Iguacu

$150 21.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 77.4% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Nova Iguacu

$92 13.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 32.7% $30

Eating Out

Nova Iguacu

$89 12.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 36.3% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nova Iguacu

$68 9.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 82.6% $56

Getting Around

Nova Iguacu

$60 8.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 17.5% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Nova Iguacu

$33 4.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 148% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $306 in Nova Iguacu and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Nova Iguacu vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $150 vs $266 per month, with Nova Iguacu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

13:07 1:07 PM

10 h ahead of Nova Iguacu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

785,867

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Nova Iguacu Phuket 15,620 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $699 in Nova Iguacu and $1,278 in Phuket, so Nova Iguacu is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Nova Iguacu. 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: $306 in Nova Iguacu versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $699 per month in Nova Iguacu versus $1,278 in Phuket – Nova Iguacu is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Nova Iguacu runs roughly 17% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $699 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Nova Iguacu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Iguacu 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.

Expats usually find Nova Iguacu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.