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: $835 in Cimislia versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,264 in Cimislia versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,692 in Cimislia versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Cimislia costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cimislia 38% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.88 MDL 118

$4.66 ฿150

47.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.29 MDL 401

$46.44 ฿1,496

-49.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.64 MDL 132

$8.68 ฿280

-11.98%

Cappuccino

$1.71 MDL 29.44

$2.95 ฿95.0

-42.03%

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

$0.92 MDL 15.84

$0.70 ฿22.52

31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MDL 11.99

$0.39 ฿12.70

79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 MDL 19.91

$2.53 ฿81.6

-54.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 MDL 40.99

$3.78 ฿122

-37.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 MDL 17.80

$2.22 ฿71.5

-53.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.42 MDL 7.27

$1.80 ฿57.8

-76.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MDL 25.87

$2.19 ฿70.4

-31.51%

Eggs

$2.13 MDL 36.70

$2.31 ฿74.5

-7.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 MDL 155

$19.34 ฿623

-53.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 MDL 71.6

$3.77 ฿121

10.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.67 MDL 149

$13.22 ฿426

-34.42%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 MDL 10.40

$3.33 ฿107

-81.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 MDL 31.05

$1.65 ฿53.1

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 MDL 25.84

$2.29 ฿73.7

-34.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MDL 35.58

$1.99 ฿64.1

3.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 MDL 10.48

$1.53 ฿49.24

-60.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.55 MDL 9.51

$1.51 ฿48.77

-63.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MDL 22.73

$1.03 ฿33.12

28.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MDL 14.11

$0.51 ฿16.57

60.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 MDL 56.9

$4.41 ฿142

-25.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.52 MDL 78.0

$19.41 ฿625

-76.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 MDL 19.89

$1.80 ฿58.0

-36.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MDL 34.28

$2.68 ฿86.4

-25.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MDL 5.22

$1.43 ฿46.11

-79.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 MDL 34.60

$3.04 ฿97.9

-33.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 MDL 4.27

$1.04 ฿33.37

-75.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 MDL 88.4

$13.68 ฿441

-62.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MDL 24.80

$1.30 ฿41.85

10.77%

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

$32.7K MDL 563.1K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

17.13%

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

$31.0K MDL 534.8K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-6.04%

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

$169 MDL 2,920

$123 ฿3,962

37.81%

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

$7.62 MDL 131

$13.82 ฿445

-44.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.94 MDL 188

$18.86 ฿608

-41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.20 MDL 296

$61.2 ฿1,970

-71.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$7.74 MDL 133

$8.87 ฿286

-12.74%

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

$390 MDL 6,721

$696 ฿22.4K

-43.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,514 MDL 129.5K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-53.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 MDL 1,115

$59.3 ฿1,910

9.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MDL 944

$34.85 ฿1,123

57.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MDL 1,936

$113 ฿3,646

-0.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 MDL 2,075

$85.1 ฿2,740

41.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 MDL 4,042

$615 ฿19.8K

-61.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 MDL 2,962

$448 ฿14.4K

-61.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 MDL 5,981

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-83.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 MDL 5,048

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-80.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$773 MDL 13.3K

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-79.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$702 MDL 12.1K

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-73.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$437 MDL 7,526

$534 ฿17.2K

-18.13%

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $235 in Cimislia and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% 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 in Cimislia vs $46 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 52% 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, Phuket earns 22% less. 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 $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $835 per month in Cimislia versus $1,270 in Phuket – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $835 in Cimislia versus $1,270 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 $835 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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.