Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Belo Horizonte

For one person, living is cheaper in Belo Horizonte: $956 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Belo Horizonte
🇧🇷 Brazil
$956
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Belo Horizonte

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 Belo Horizonte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $956 in Belo Horizonte.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Belo Horizonte $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,517 in Belo Horizonte.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Belo Horizonte $1,517

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,078 in Belo Horizonte.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Belo Horizonte $2,078

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than in Belo Horizonte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Belo Horizonte 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Belo Horizonte
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$5.64 R$30.66
-20.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$34.96 R$190
-7.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$8.26 R$44.92
6.66%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.17 R$11.78
30.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$1.28 R$6.94
-32.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.76 R$4.14
-35.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.09 R$11.38
22.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.37 R$18.36
9.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Belo Horizonte
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$0.93 R$5.06
78.49%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.67 R$9.09
-12.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.87 R$10.16
-19.79%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.08 R$11.29
0.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$9.11 R$49.56
109.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.02 R$21.85
-17.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$7.05 R$38.37
54.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.88 R$10.25
55.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.19 R$6.49
42.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.16 R$6.31
93.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.49 R$8.10
39.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.07 R$5.81
41.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$0.96 R$5.24
43.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$0.78 R$4.25
37.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.87 R$4.73
-40.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.31 R$12.56
81.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$7.50 R$40.82
150.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.29 R$7.03
41.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.55 R$13.85
11.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Belo Horizonte
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$1.13 R$6.14
28.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$65.4 R$355
-13.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.97 R$5.25
211.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.67 R$3.67
52.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$6.03 R$32.80
-38.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.19 R$6.45
23.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$22.1K R$120.1K
21.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$31.8K R$172.8K
-15.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Belo Horizonte
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$73.2 R$398
31.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$9.69 R$52.7
16.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$19.79 R$108
-14.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Belo Horizonte
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$26.76 R$146
151.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$41.79 R$227
-74.32%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$7.60 R$41.31
-1.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Belo Horizonte
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$435 R$2,366
9.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$13.8K R$75.1K
-18.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Belo Horizonte
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$56.3 R$306
10.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$45.66 R$248
-37.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$91.7 R$499
2.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$67.8 R$369
26.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Belo Horizonte
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$564 R$3,066
26.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$314 R$1,711
56.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$834 R$4,539
130.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$597 R$3,247
139.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$2,252 R$12.2K
85.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$1,173 R$6,383
159.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Belo Horizonte
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$580 R$3,153
-13.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.25
-50.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Belo Horizonte
$314 35.9% $176
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Belo Horizonte
$184 30.8% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Belo Horizonte
$103 17.5% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Belo Horizonte
$118 3.5% $4.3
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Belo Horizonte
$121 0.4% $0.5
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Belo Horizonte
$42 49% $40
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Belo Horizonte
$74 5.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $564 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belo Horizonte pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $35 in Belo Horizonte. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $184, with Belo Horizonte cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇷 Belo Horizonte
🕒 Local time
19:40 7:40 PM
09:40 9:40 AM
10 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
2,315,560
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Belo Horizonte 15,750 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Belo Horizonte

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 Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Belo Horizonte?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $956 in Belo Horizonte, so Belo Horizonte is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Belo Horizonte?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $564 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Belo Horizonte?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $435 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $956 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Belo Horizonte?
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.

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