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: $827 in Cimislia versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,161 in Cimislia versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,496 in Cimislia versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Cimislia costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cimislia 40% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 MDL 123

$4.66 ฿154

53.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.96 MDL 394

$32.22 ฿1,065

-28.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 MDL 186

$8.68 ฿287

24.65%

Cappuccino

$1.76 MDL 30.25

$2.90 ฿95.8

-39.31%

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

$1.11 MDL 19.00

$0.84 ฿27.89

32.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MDL 11.66

$0.49 ฿16.16

38.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 MDL 19.76

$2.48 ฿82.0

-53.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 MDL 40.31

$3.73 ฿123

-37.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 MDL 18.20

$1.89 ฿62.3

-43.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 MDL 7.35

$1.41 ฿46.54

-69.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MDL 28.42

$1.62 ฿53.6

2.47%

Eggs

$2.12 MDL 36.32

$2.24 ฿74.1

-5.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.88 MDL 118

$19.84 ฿656

-65.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 MDL 72.0

$3.48 ฿115

20.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.47 MDL 111

$11.37 ฿376

-43.10%

Apples (1kg)

$0.60 MDL 10.33

$2.90 ฿95.8

-79.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 MDL 39.45

$1.72 ฿57.0

33.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 MDL 24.62

$2.27 ฿75.1

-37.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MDL 35.83

$2.13 ฿70.4

-1.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.60

$1.47 ฿48.72

-61.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 MDL 9.55

$1.42 ฿46.92

-60.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 MDL 7.82

$1.10 ฿36.25

-58.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MDL 10.29

$0.60 ฿19.76

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 MDL 58.2

$4.31 ฿142

-21.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 MDL 77.8

$18.60 ฿615

-75.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MDL 20.53

$1.80 ฿59.5

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 MDL 35.68

$2.97 ฿98.0

-29.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MDL 5.19

$2.25 ฿74.2

-86.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 MDL 50.9

$3.10 ฿102

-4.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 MDL 4.68

$1.08 ฿35.56

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MDL 99.3

$3.87 ฿128

49.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 MDL 25.69

$1.43 ฿47.16

4.90%

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

$35.3K MDL 605.8K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

27.05%

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

$24.9K MDL 426.8K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-7.83%

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

$229 MDL 3,930

$105 ฿3,462

118.56%

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

$8.26 MDL 142

$11.39 ฿376

-27.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.48 MDL 197

$17.54 ฿580

-34.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.84 MDL 306

$54.3 ฿1,795

-67.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 MDL 139

$7.78 ฿257

4.37%

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

$115 MDL 1,970

$576 ฿19.0K

-80.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,514 MDL 94.6K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-52.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.58 MDL 799

$63.6 ฿2,103

-26.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.0 MDL 995

$96.2 ฿3,179

-39.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 MDL 884

$90.0 ฿2,974

-42.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 MDL 3,945

$733 ฿24.2K

-68.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 MDL 2,998

$501 ฿16.5K

-65.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 MDL 6,046

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-83.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 MDL 4,951

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-76.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$758 MDL 13.0K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-78.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$696 MDL 11.9K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-73.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 MDL 7,441

$508 ฿16.8K

-14.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

43.63%

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

Last update for Cimislia: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in Cimislia and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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 Cimislia vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $155 vs $275 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 53% 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 17% 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: $230 in Cimislia versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $827 per month in Cimislia versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $827 in Cimislia versus $1,265 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 $827 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 53% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.