Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ipatinga Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ipatinga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $686 in Ipatinga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,097 in Ipatinga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,507 in Ipatinga.

Living in Phuket is roughly 84% more expensive than in Ipatinga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Ipatinga 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.56 R$18.08

25.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$24.70 R$125

84.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.65 R$33.77

31.73%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.29 R$6.52

130.23%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.75 R$3.79

-8.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.64 R$3.27

-39.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.41 R$7.15

79.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.68 R$8.54

123.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.88 R$4.47

144.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.30 R$6.62

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.59 R$8.06

37.11%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.36 R$6.88

65.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.41 R$32.52

212.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.24 R$16.44

12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$5.29 R$26.84

156.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.33 R$6.77

143.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.92 R$4.68

78.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.77 R$3.91

202.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.14 R$5.76

81.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.75 R$3.80

106.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.80 R$4.08

82.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.57 R$2.87

71.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.60 R$3.07

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.15 R$10.89

102.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.83 R$29.59

218.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.08 R$5.47

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.52 R$7.70

74.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.86 R$4.36

65.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$39.13 R$199

-70.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.86 R$4.34

268.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.88 R$4.46

17.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$3.53 R$17.91

293.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.09 R$5.51

22.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$18.2K R$92.4K

52.55%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$24.8K R$125.6K

34.81%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$65.9 R$334

86.81%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$10.79 R$54.8

27.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$8.96 R$45.45

104.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$21.44 R$109

183.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$21.83 R$111

-21.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.33 R$27.03

66.42%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$370 R$1,879

85.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,675 R$33.9K

136.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$52.7 R$267

12.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$37.64 R$191

-7.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$64.0 R$325

79.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$64.4 R$327

30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$314 R$1,591

98.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$220 R$1,118

102.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$255 R$1,293

697.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$435 R$2,209

243.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$988 R$5,015

249.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,031 R$5,234

145.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$296 R$1,504

66.57%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ipatinga: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $314 in Ipatinga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 67% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Ipatinga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $139 per month, with Ipatinga 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 Ipatinga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Ipatinga differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $686 including rent). Ipatinga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $314 in Ipatinga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $370 in Ipatinga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $686 in Ipatinga versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ipatinga 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 Ipatinga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.