Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ipatinga

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipatinga: $786 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Ipatinga
Learn more

Ipatinga Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ipatinga

🇧🇷 Brazil

$786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ipatinga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $786 in Ipatinga.

Phuket $1,278
Ipatinga $786

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,248 in Ipatinga.

Phuket $2,216
Ipatinga $1,248

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,709 in Ipatinga.

Phuket $3,154
Ipatinga $1,709

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Ipatinga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ipatinga 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.55 R$29.86

-19.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$25.29 R$136

28.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.89 R$42.47

11.66%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.52 R$8.16

86.18%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.27 R$6.83

-31.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.72 R$3.89

-31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.47 R$7.91

74.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.22 R$11.94

65.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.95 R$5.12

74.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.70 R$9.15

-14.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.92 R$10.35

-21.87%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.56 R$8.38

33.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.44 R$45.44

125.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.77 R$20.30

-12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.03 R$37.83

55.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.88 R$10.10

55.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.17 R$6.30

44.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.11 R$5.95

102.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.49 R$8.01

39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.03 R$5.54

46.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.94 R$5.07

46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.79 R$4.28

35.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.86 R$4.64

-39.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.29 R$12.30

83.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.72 R$30.79

228.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.09 R$5.87

66.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.46 R$13.23

15.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.94 R$5.06

54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$46.94 R$253

20.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.91 R$4.90

231.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.71 R$3.83

43.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$3.69 R$19.84

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.24 R$6.65

18.55%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$18.3K R$98.4K

46.49%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$26.0K R$140.0K

2.58%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$59.7 R$321

61.34%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$9.51 R$51.2

18.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$19.29 R$104

-12.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$22.04 R$119

205.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$25.90 R$139

-58.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.45 R$29.35

37.61%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$425 R$2,286

12.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$12.9K R$69.4K

-12.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$40.39 R$217

54.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$45.03 R$242

-36.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$64.4 R$346

46.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$67.3 R$362

27.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$338 R$1,818

111.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$232 R$1,248

111.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$264 R$1,422

629.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$457 R$2,459

213.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,421 R$7,645

193.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,241 R$6,681

145.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$276 R$1,488

81.70%

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 Ipatinga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ipatinga

$232 29.5% 52.8% $259

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ipatinga

$174 22.2% 34.5% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ipatinga

$89 11.3% 28.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ipatinga

$98 12.4% 19.8% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ipatinga

$106 13.5% 12.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ipatinga

$33 4.2% 59.9% $49

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ipatinga

$55 7% 21.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $338 in Ipatinga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 82% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $25 in Ipatinga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $174 per month, with Ipatinga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Ipatinga

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

00:45 12:45 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

227,731

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.166 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ipatinga 15,610 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ipatinga

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 Ipatinga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $786 in Ipatinga, so Ipatinga is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Phuket, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $338 in Ipatinga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $425 in Ipatinga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $786 in Ipatinga versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Ipatinga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ipatinga 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 Ipatinga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.