Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Barbacena

For one person, living is cheaper in Barbacena: $857 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Barbacena
Learn more

Barbacena Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Barbacena

🇧🇷 Brazil

$857

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Barbacena

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $857 in Barbacena.

Phuket $1,207
Barbacena $857

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,305 in Barbacena.

Phuket $2,037
Barbacena $1,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,753 in Barbacena.

Phuket $2,867
Barbacena $1,753

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than in Barbacena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Barbacena 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$5.35 R$26.86

-14.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,090

$20.84 R$105

55.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$5.93 R$29.74

44.18%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.3

$1.74 R$8.73

56.32%

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

$0.94 ฿31.37

$1.57 R$7.89

-40.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.46

$0.86 R$4.30

-43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$1.32 R$6.62

96.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$2.27 R$11.37

68.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.14 R$5.69

52.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.01

$2.06 R$10.36

-30.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$1.22 R$6.12

25.41%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$2.38 R$11.96

-8.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿642

$10.81 R$54.3

77.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.44 R$22.25

-25.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$9.97 R$50.0

11.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.9

$2.90 R$14.54

1.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.83 R$9.19

-8.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.1

$1.57 R$7.89

46.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.6

$1.79 R$9.00

18.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$1.21 R$6.08

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.73

$1.04 R$5.20

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.59

$0.71 R$3.55

57.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.31

$0.70 R$3.50

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$3.02 R$15.17

41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿610

$7.83 R$39.29

132.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.18 R$5.93

47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.7

$2.42 R$12.14

15.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$0.97 R$4.87

128.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿740

$45.05 R$226

-51.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.7

$1.26 R$6.34

130.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.93

$0.85 R$4.26

18.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$9.35 R$46.91

-59.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.31 R$6.56

13.74%

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

$26.7K ฿895.1K

$23.5K R$118.0K

13.49%

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

$26.7K ฿896.1K

$32.7K R$164.1K

-18.32%

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

$99.4 ฿3,334

$136 R$685

-27.18%

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

$11.28 ฿379

$11.02 R$55.3

2.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿582

$22.95 R$115

-24.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,754

$26.50 R$133

97.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$29.48 R$148

-63.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$7.94 R$39.85

-4.66%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$596 R$2,992

-6.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.4K

$13.4K R$67.3K

-14.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,110

$41.74 R$209

50.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿959

$48.77 R$245

-41.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,226

$75.6 R$379

27.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,954

$67.2 R$337

31.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$234 R$1,172

212.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$168 R$841

174.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.3K

$434 R$2,178

382.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$307 R$1,539

298.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.0K

$1,629 R$8,175

112.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.5K

$1,334 R$6,692

86.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.93

-53.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Barbacena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Barbacena

$168 19.6% 63.6% $292

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Barbacena

$215 25.1% 19.6% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Barbacena

$170 19.9% 33.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Barbacena

$105 12.3% 15.4% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Barbacena

$102 11.9% 15.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Barbacena

$42 5% 37.1% $25

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Barbacena

$54 6.4% 40% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $234 in Barbacena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Barbacena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $215 per month, with Barbacena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Barbacena

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

10:24 10:24 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

125,317

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Barbacena 15,700 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Barbacena

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

Phuket vs Barbacena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Barbacena differ by about 41% in total monthly costs ($1,207 vs $857 including rent). Barbacena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $1,286 in Barbacena to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $234 in Barbacena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $857 in Barbacena – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barbacena runs roughly 104% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $857 in Barbacena versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barbacena but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Barbacena 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, Phuket and Barbacena 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 Barbacena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.