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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in Varginha costs roughly 45% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.48 R$44.27

$4.37 ฿147

94.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.07 R$120

$32.87 ฿1,103

-29.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 R$35.39

$8.39 ฿282

-19.19%

Cappuccino

$0.99 R$5.15

$2.73 ฿91.8

-63.74%

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

$0.85 R$4.42

$0.88 ฿29.59

-3.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 R$3.10

$0.47 ฿15.92

25.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.38 R$7.20

$2.36 ฿79.1

-41.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 R$17.76

$3.71 ฿124

-8.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.57

$1.83 ฿61.5

-51.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 R$8.12

$1.45 ฿48.58

7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.12

$1.58 ฿52.9

-37.97%

Eggs

$1.37 R$7.15

$2.10 ฿70.4

-34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 R$45.53

$19.37 ฿650

-54.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.45 R$18.03

$3.42 ฿115

0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 R$46.30

$10.96 ฿368

-19.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 R$7.06

$3.00 ฿101

-55.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.88

$1.64 ฿54.9

-19.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.24

$2.21 ฿74.1

-54.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.18

$2.12 ฿71.2

-53.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 R$5.08

$1.47 ฿49.34

-34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.88

$1.32 ฿44.37

-29.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 R$2.45

$1.07 ฿35.93

-56.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.37

$0.52 ฿17.61

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 R$11.27

$4.38 ฿147

-50.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.77 R$24.90

$18.59 ฿624

-74.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 R$5.65

$1.75 ฿58.6

-38.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R$9.15

$2.86 ฿95.8

-38.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 R$4.78

$2.26 ฿76.0

-59.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.86 R$250

$22.98 ฿771

108.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 R$4.78

$2.94 ฿98.7

-68.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.58

$1.07 ฿35.84

-35.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 R$32.86

$3.84 ฿129

63.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.56

$1.46 ฿48.96

-26.71%

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

$23.2K R$121.4K

$27.2K ฿912.2K

-14.52%

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

$28.8K R$150.3K

$26.6K ฿893.5K

8.08%

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

$92.1 R$481

$102 ฿3,420

-9.64%

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

$4.86 R$25.38

$10.96 ฿368

-55.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 R$99.2

$16.89 ฿567

12.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.39 R$127

$52.4 ฿1,758

-53.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.99 R$141

$10.93 ฿367

146.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 R$39.57

$7.52 ฿252

0.80%

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

$210 R$1,094

$547 ฿18.3K

-61.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,127 R$21.6K

$11.3K ฿379.5K

-63.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.00 R$178

$63.2 ฿2,122

-46.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 R$296

$29.23 ฿981

94.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 R$407

$97.8 ฿3,282

-20.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.0 R$303

$86.7 ฿2,909

-33.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$144 R$752

$721 ฿24.2K

-80.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$111 R$581

$476 ฿16.0K

-76.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 R$1,381

$2,081 ฿69.8K

-87.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 R$1,281

$1,194 ฿40.1K

-79.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,615 R$8,434

$3,577 ฿120.0K

-54.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,137 R$5,940

$2,541 ฿85.3K

-55.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$437 R$2,283

$489 ฿16.4K

-10.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Varginha: September 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $144 in Varginha and $721 in Phuket. 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: $23.00 in Varginha vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $269 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

Varginha vs Phuket: 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.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $144 in Varginha versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Varginha versus $547 in Phuket. 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, Varginha and Phuket 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.