Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Belo Horizonte Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Belo Horizonte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $844 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,306 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,769 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Phuket is roughly 50% more expensive than Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Belo Horizonte 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.47 R$32.74

-27.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$33.04 R$167

37.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.68 R$33.83

26.20%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.55 R$7.85

89.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.93 R$4.69

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.64 R$3.26

-42.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.76 R$8.92

36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.01 R$15.24

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.89 R$4.52

150.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.51 R$7.64

21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.59 R$8.03

36.48%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.94 R$9.84

13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.89 R$39.97

150.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.38 R$17.10

7.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.19 R$36.43

88.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.17 R$10.98

51.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.29 R$6.52

24.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.09 R$5.52

121.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.30 R$6.60

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.01 R$5.12

51.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.85 R$4.33

74.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.70 R$3.56

41.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.67 R$3.41

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.11 R$10.67

109.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.69 R$43.99

123.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.07 R$5.42

66.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.14 R$10.82

26.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.96 R$4.87

42.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$40.86 R$207

-72.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.93 R$4.69

224.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.14 R$5.78

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.33 R$42.19

69.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.05 R$5.31

29.52%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$25.5K R$129.0K

10.72%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.9K R$146.1K

14.02%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$66.0 R$334

84.48%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$14.58 R$73.8

-6.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$20.88 R$106

-12.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$24.00 R$122

150.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$39.35 R$199

-56.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.15 R$36.19

21.54%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$368 R$1,861

88.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,826 R$34.6K

129.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$52.5 R$266

13.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$37.80 R$191

-8.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$72.7 R$368

57.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$65.9 R$334

26.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$404 R$2,045

51.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$265 R$1,341

64.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$697 R$3,529

200.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$455 R$2,302

231.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,309 R$11.7K

62.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,109 R$5,617

135.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$625 R$3,165

-18.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.83

-50.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belo Horizonte pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $172 per month, with Belo Horizonte 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

Phuket vs Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Belo Horizonte differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $844 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Belo Horizonte earns 23% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $368 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 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.

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 Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.