Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Itajubá, MG Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Itajubá, MG

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $754 in Itajubá, MG.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,099 in Itajubá, MG.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,443 in Itajubá, MG.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than Itajubá, MG, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Itajubá, MG 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.70 R$18.47

25.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.14 R$70.6

231.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.98 R$24.83

77.51%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.70 R$3.50

328.57%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.76 R$3.77

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.38 R$1.91

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.79 R$8.92

36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.65 R$13.22

36.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.86 R$4.30

162.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.45 R$7.26

26.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.92 R$4.57

143.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.03 R$10.12

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.80 R$38.92

152.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.03 R$15.11

20.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.77 R$28.78

127.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.39 R$11.92

41.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.55 R$7.74

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.51 R$7.54

59.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.51 R$7.52

34.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.55 R$2.75

183.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.99 R$4.92

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.28 R$1.41

264.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.56 R$2.81

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.92 R$9.59

131.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.78 R$38.82

142.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.26 R$6.30

41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.46 R$7.29

88.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.92 R$4.58

52.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$38.49 R$192

-70.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.09 R$5.44

186.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.71 R$3.52

40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.62 R$38.00

84.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.03 R$5.15

31.07%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$15.6K R$77.8K

74.40%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.5K R$137.3K

19.63%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$102 R$509

22.60%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.17 R$60.7

11.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$16.11 R$80.4

14.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$13.95 R$69.6

340.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.32 R$106

-21.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.33 R$31.61

45.18%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$553 R$2,761

26.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$11.8K R$58.7K

32.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$45.65 R$228

26.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$41.98 R$209

-16.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$74.9 R$374

50.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$62.2 R$310

38.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$291 R$1,453

111.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$214 R$1,066

108.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$466 R$2,325

339.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$318 R$1,587

369.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$922 R$4,600

309.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$690 R$3,445

283.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$294 R$1,469

77.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.33

-52.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Itajubá, MG: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $291 in Itajubá, MG. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 78% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Itajubá, MG for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $162 per month, with Itajubá, MG 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 Itajubá, MG: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Itajubá, MG differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $754 including rent). Itajubá, MG is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 78% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $291 in Itajubá, MG. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $553 in Itajubá, MG. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $754 in Itajubá, MG versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Itajubá, MG but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Itajubá, MG 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 Itajubá, MG 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 Itajubá, MG gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.