Cost of Living Comparison Between Cimislia and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cimislia and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $853 in Cimislia versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,262 in Cimislia versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,671 in Cimislia versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Cimislia costs roughly 33% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cimislia 36% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.94 MDL 122

$4.48 ฿150

54.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.86 MDL 418

$45.59 ฿1,525

-47.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 MDL 134

$8.76 ฿293

-13.01%

Cappuccino

$1.73 MDL 30.41

$2.97 ฿99.3

-41.75%

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

$0.92 MDL 16.07

$0.69 ฿22.96

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MDL 11.57

$0.39 ฿13.07

69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 MDL 19.97

$2.53 ฿84.7

-54.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 MDL 41.58

$3.75 ฿125

-36.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 MDL 18.02

$2.15 ฿71.8

-52.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 MDL 7.38

$1.82 ฿60.7

-76.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MDL 25.72

$2.18 ฿73.1

-32.57%

Eggs

$2.06 MDL 36.14

$2.25 ฿75.2

-8.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 MDL 157

$20.00 ฿669

-55.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 MDL 71.3

$3.63 ฿121

11.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 MDL 155

$13.56 ฿453

-34.88%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 MDL 10.55

$3.24 ฿109

-81.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MDL 31.84

$1.64 ฿54.7

10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MDL 26.37

$2.33 ฿78.0

-35.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 MDL 36.36

$2.07 ฿69.3

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 MDL 9.71

$1.55 ฿51.8

-64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 MDL 10.32

$1.46 ฿48.67

-59.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MDL 23.59

$0.98 ฿32.94

36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MDL 15.59

$0.48 ฿16.13

85.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 MDL 55.1

$4.35 ฿146

-27.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.67 MDL 81.8

$18.57 ฿621

-74.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MDL 20.12

$1.86 ฿62.1

-38.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 MDL 35.14

$2.65 ฿88.8

-24.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 MDL 4.87

$1.42 ฿47.40

-80.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 MDL 35.75

$3.17 ฿106

-35.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.75

$1.03 ฿34.51

-73.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 MDL 94.2

$13.89 ฿465

-61.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MDL 24.24

$1.34 ฿44.96

2.99%

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

$31.9K MDL 560.4K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

14.95%

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

$30.6K MDL 536.7K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-8.35%

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

$169 MDL 2,964

$123 ฿4,116

37.31%

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

$7.56 MDL 133

$13.77 ฿461

-45.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.93 MDL 192

$18.33 ฿613

-40.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.23 MDL 302

$60.7 ฿2,030

-71.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$7.82 MDL 137

$8.87 ฿297

-11.84%

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

$398 MDL 6,976

$688 ฿23.0K

-42.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,682 MDL 134.8K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-51.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 MDL 1,162

$59.3 ฿1,984

11.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 MDL 942

$34.69 ฿1,160

54.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MDL 1,992

$115 ฿3,853

-1.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MDL 2,125

$83.8 ฿2,802

44.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 MDL 4,116

$621 ฿20.8K

-62.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 MDL 2,976

$446 ฿14.9K

-61.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 MDL 6,070

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-82.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MDL 5,069

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-80.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$743 MDL 13.0K

$3,455 ฿115.6K

-78.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$675 MDL 11.8K

$2,531 ฿84.7K

-73.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$430 MDL 7,545

$494 ฿16.5K

-12.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.24

5.33

73.36%

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

Last update for Cimislia: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $235 in Cimislia and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 15% 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: $24.00 in Cimislia vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $291 per month, with Cimislia 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

Cimislia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimislia wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cimislia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 15% 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: $235 in Cimislia versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $853 per month in Cimislia versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $853 in Cimislia versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cimislia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cimislia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cimislia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $853 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cimislia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cimislia 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 Cimislia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.