Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambatolampy and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambatolampy: $466 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Ambatolampy
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Ambatolampy Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Ambatolampy

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$466

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambatolampy and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambatolampy and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $466 in Ambatolampy versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Ambatolampy $466
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $689 in Ambatolampy versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Ambatolampy $689
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $912 in Ambatolampy versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Ambatolampy $912
Phuket $3,154

Living in Ambatolampy costs roughly 64% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ambatolampy 66% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 MGA 11.9K

$4.47 ฿151

-41.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.84 MGA 45.0K

$32.41 ฿1,094

-69.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.64 MGA 25.8K

$8.81 ฿297

-35.98%

Cappuccino

$1.58 MGA 7,247

$2.83 ฿95.4

-44.17%

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

$0.75 MGA 3,424

$0.87 ฿29.42

-13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MGA 2,053

$0.49 ฿16.66

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.94 MGA 4,317

$2.56 ฿86.3

-63.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 MGA 9,775

$3.68 ฿124

-41.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 MGA 3,889

$1.66 ฿56.0

-48.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MGA 4,478

$1.46 ฿49.32

-32.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,222

$1.50 ฿50.5

-53.33%

Eggs

$1.95 MGA 8,925

$2.09 ฿70.5

-6.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 MGA 38.8K

$19.07 ฿643

-55.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 MGA 20.1K

$3.30 ฿111

33.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.86 MGA 22.2K

$10.91 ฿368

-55.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 MGA 4,716

$2.93 ฿98.9

-64.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 MGA 2,582

$1.69 ฿57.0

-66.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 MGA 4,694

$2.25 ฿75.8

-54.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 MGA 3,735

$2.08 ฿70.1

-60.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.54 MGA 2,484

$1.51 ฿51.0

-64.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 MGA 4,144

$1.38 ฿46.54

-34.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 MGA 1,437

$1.07 ฿35.97

-71.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MGA 3,255

$0.52 ฿17.51

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.57 MGA 7,168

$4.20 ฿142

-62.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 MGA 22.1K

$18.79 ฿634

-74.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MGA 4,601

$1.82 ฿61.5

-44.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 MGA 8,327

$2.84 ฿95.9

-35.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.34 MGA 15.3K

$3.02 ฿102

10.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 MGA 8,871

$1.02 ฿34.34

90.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 MGA 20.0K

$3.69 ฿125

18.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 MGA 3,806

$1.47 ฿49.78

-43.54%

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

$11.7K MGA 53.7M

$26.8K ฿903.7K

-56.17%

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

$25.3K MGA 116.0M

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-5.07%

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

$71.4 MGA 327.0K

$96.4 ฿3,252

-25.85%

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

$16.52 MGA 75.6K

$11.26 ฿380

46.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 MGA 250.3K

$16.85 ฿569

224.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$5.37 MGA 24.6K

$7.50 ฿253

-28.40%

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

$23.91 MGA 109.4K

$476 ฿16.1K

-94.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K MGA 66.5M

$11.3K ฿380.1K

29.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.41 MGA 130.0K

$62.4 ฿2,105

-54.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.96 MGA 123.4K

$28.41 ฿959

-5.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MGA 346.9K

$94.3 ฿3,182

-19.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 MGA 313.8K

$85.8 ฿2,896

-20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.75

5.57

182.76%

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

Last update for Ambatolampy: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambatolampy

$143 30.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 12.8% $18

Groceries & Markets

Ambatolampy

$139 29.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 91.4% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Ambatolampy

$90 19.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 35.6% $32

Eating Out

Ambatolampy

$70 15.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 72.7% $51

Getting Around

Ambatolampy

$13 * 2.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 442% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Ambatolampy

$11 * 2.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 666% $72

Accommodation & Living

Ambatolampy

- * 0%

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $10 in Ambatolampy vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $139 vs $266 per month, with Ambatolampy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Ambatolampy

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

11:04 11:04 AM

4 h ahead of Ambatolampy

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,291

79,308

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,110 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ambatolampy Phuket 6,350 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambatolampy
Phuket

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

Ambatolampy vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambatolampy wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambatolampy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $699 in Ambatolampy and $1,917 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $24 in Ambatolampy versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ambatolampy – a meal for two runs $10 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $466 in Ambatolampy versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambatolampy but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ambatolampy 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.