Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lavras

For one person, living is cheaper in Lavras: $885 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Lavras
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Lavras Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Lavras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lavras

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $885 in Lavras.

Phuket $1,208
Lavras $885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,256 in Lavras.

Phuket $2,027
Lavras $1,256

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,626 in Lavras.

Phuket $2,845
Lavras $1,626

Living in Phuket is roughly 37% more expensive than in Lavras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Lavras 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$4.24 R$21.52

3.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$18.15 R$92.0

77.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.08 R$40.94

8.42%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.89 R$9.60

49.74%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.27 R$6.41

-29.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.66 R$3.34

-28.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.16 R$10.93

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.31 R$11.71

65.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.77 R$3.88

124.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.80 R$9.11

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.35 R$6.86

11.85%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.27 R$11.52

-4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$9.68 R$49.06

103.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$4.42 R$22.41

-24.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$7.84 R$39.77

42.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.21 R$6.15

135.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.27 R$6.43

33.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$0.82 R$4.14

167.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.22 R$6.20

68.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.77 R$3.90

88.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.01 R$5.14

36.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.80 R$4.03

33.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.77 R$3.92

-33.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.53 R$12.85

68.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$8.00 R$40.54

132.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.18 R$5.97

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.63 R$8.28

74.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.03 R$5.20

119.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$60.6 R$307

-63.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.03 R$5.24

192.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.75 R$3.83

41.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$6.45 R$32.68

-40.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.30 R$6.59

11.54%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$22.9K R$116.2K

14.90%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$33.6K R$170.2K

-19.77%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$76.4 R$387

26.20%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$10.43 R$52.9

5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$20.61 R$104

-16.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$30.07 R$152

73.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$18.16 R$92.1

-38.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$7.92 R$40.16

-1.39%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$286 R$1,452

94.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$3,301 R$16.7K

250.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$60.6 R$307

6.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$49.25 R$250

-41.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$99.2 R$503

-3.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$70.8 R$359

24.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$359 R$1,819

105.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$252 R$1,278

83.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$347 R$1,759

503.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$276 R$1,400

334.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,212 R$6,142

187.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$997 R$5,055

153.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$482 R$2,445

3.82%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Lavras: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Lavras

$252 28.5% 45.5% $210

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Lavras

$180 20.3% 33.1% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Lavras

$107 12.1% 13.8% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Lavras

$126 14.2% 1.3% $1.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Lavras

$104 11.8% 14.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Lavras

$46 5.2% 32.3% $22

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Lavras

$70 7.9% 76.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $359 in Lavras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 4% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Lavras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $180 per month, with Lavras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Lavras

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

02:21 2:21 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

104,761

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Lavras 15,820 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Lavras

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 Lavras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lavras wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lavras the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $737 in Phuket versus $359 in Lavras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lavras runs roughly 174% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $286 in Lavras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $885 in Lavras versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lavras but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lavras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lavras delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lavras hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lavras 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 Lavras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.