Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varginha Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varginha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,243 in Phuket versus $688 in Varginha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,023 in Phuket versus $1,110 in Varginha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,803 in Phuket versus $1,533 in Varginha.

Living in Phuket is roughly 81% more expensive than in Varginha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Varginha 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 ฿147

$8.48 R$44.27

-48.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.87 ฿1,103

$23.07 R$120

42.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.39 ฿282

$6.78 R$35.39

23.75%

Cappuccino

$2.73 ฿91.8

$0.99 R$5.15

175.76%

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

$0.88 ฿29.59

$0.85 R$4.42

3.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.92

$0.59 R$3.10

-20.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿79.1

$1.38 R$7.20

71.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿124

$3.40 R$17.76

9.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 ฿61.5

$0.88 R$4.57

107.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.58

$1.56 R$8.12

-7.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.9

$0.98 R$5.12

61.22%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.4

$1.37 R$7.15

53.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.37 ฿650

$8.72 R$45.53

122.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿115

$3.45 R$18.03

-0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.96 ฿368

$8.87 R$46.30

23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 ฿101

$1.35 R$7.06

122.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.9

$1.32 R$6.88

24.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿74.1

$1.00 R$5.24

121.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.2

$0.99 R$5.18

114.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿49.34

$0.97 R$5.08

51.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 ฿44.37

$0.93 R$4.88

41.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.93

$0.47 R$2.45

127.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.61

$0.65 R$3.37

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$2.16 R$11.27

102.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.59 ฿624

$4.77 R$24.90

289.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 ฿58.6

$1.08 R$5.65

62.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 ฿95.8

$1.75 R$9.15

63.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.91 R$4.78

148.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.98 ฿771

$47.86 R$250

-51.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 ฿98.7

$0.92 R$4.78

219.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.84

$0.69 R$3.58

55.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$6.29 R$32.86

-38.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 ฿48.96

$1.07 R$5.56

36.45%

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

$27.2K ฿912.2K

$23.2K R$121.4K

16.99%

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

$26.6K ฿893.5K

$28.8K R$150.3K

-7.48%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$92.1 R$481

10.67%

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

$10.96 ฿368

$4.86 R$25.38

125.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.89 ฿567

$18.99 R$99.2

-11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 ฿1,758

$24.39 R$127

114.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 ฿367

$26.99 R$141

-59.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 ฿252

$7.58 R$39.57

-0.79%

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

$547 ฿18.3K

$210 R$1,094

160.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.5K

$4,127 R$21.6K

174.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 ฿2,122

$34.00 R$178

86.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.23 ฿981

$56.7 R$296

-48.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 ฿3,282

$77.9 R$407

25.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.7 ฿2,909

$58.0 R$303

49.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$144 R$752

400.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 ฿16.0K

$111 R$581

327.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 ฿69.8K

$264 R$1,381

687.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 ฿40.1K

$245 R$1,281

386.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,577 ฿120.0K

$1,615 R$8,434

121.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,541 ฿85.3K

$1,137 R$5,940

123.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$489 ฿16.4K

$437 R$2,283

11.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 28, 2026

Last update for Varginha: September 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $144 in Varginha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 12% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Varginha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $160 per month, with Varginha 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 Varginha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varginha is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $721 in Phuket versus $144 in Varginha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Phuket versus $210 in Varginha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $688 in Varginha versus $1,243 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varginha but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Varginha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Varginha is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Varginha 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 Varginha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.