Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Montes Claros Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Montes Claros

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $746 in Montes Claros.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,200 in Montes Claros.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,655 in Montes Claros.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than in Montes Claros, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Montes Claros 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.22 R$16.32

39.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$26.88 R$136

69.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.32 R$32.07

38.61%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.80 R$9.15

65.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.13 R$5.73

-38.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.65 R$3.31

-40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.28 R$6.52

97.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.71 R$13.76

38.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.93 R$4.71

131.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.51 R$7.64

20.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.15 R$5.83

89.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.03 R$10.29

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.37 R$42.45

138.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.56 R$18.06

1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.40 R$37.56

83.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.05 R$10.41

58.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.25 R$6.37

31.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.15 R$5.81

102.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.51 R$7.65

37.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.19 R$6.02

30.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.07 R$5.41

36.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.69 R$3.50

42.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.66 R$3.33

-27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.09 R$10.62

108.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.89 R$40.04

135.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.23 R$6.24

51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.07 R$10.52

28.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.70 R$3.54

102.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$38.48 R$195

-69.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.11 R$5.61

185.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.75 R$3.79

37.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.55 R$33.24

112.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.94 R$4.77

42.55%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.7K R$105.0K

34.30%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.3K R$138.6K

22.20%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$61.0 R$310

101.72%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$13.34 R$67.7

3.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$18.24 R$92.6

0.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$19.43 R$98.6

212.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$21.52 R$109

-20.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.44 R$32.66

37.73%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$266 R$1,348

158.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,484 R$32.9K

143.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$48.94 R$248

21.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$42.48 R$216

-18.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$77.0 R$390

49.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$64.8 R$329

29.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$319 R$1,616

95.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$220 R$1,116

102.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$589 R$2,989

245.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$422 R$2,140

254.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,782 R$9,043

93.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,280 R$6,494

97.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$397 R$2,016

24.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $319 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 24% 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 $27.00 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $174 per month, with Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Montes Claros differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $746 including rent). Montes Claros is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 24% 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 $319 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Montes Claros runs roughly 233% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $266 in Montes Claros. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $746 in Montes Claros versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montes Claros but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros 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 Montes Claros gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.