Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Bay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Bay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Grand Bay versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,332 in Grand Bay versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,515 in Grand Bay versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Grand Bay costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grand Bay 14% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.10 MUR 381

$4.55 ฿153

78.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 MUR 2,368

$46.18 ฿1,554

9.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 MUR 302

$8.84 ฿298

-27.38%

Cappuccino

$2.55 MUR 120

$3.06 ฿103

-16.67%

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

$0.95 MUR 44.68

$0.73 ฿24.42

30.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 MUR 25.95

$0.40 ฿13.40

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 MUR 152

$2.43 ฿81.8

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 MUR 153

$3.78 ฿127

-13.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 MUR 60.4

$2.26 ฿76.0

-43.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 MUR 30.64

$1.81 ฿60.9

-64.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.6

$2.25 ฿75.8

-40.89%

Eggs

$2.27 MUR 107

$2.25 ฿75.6

0.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.41 MUR 1,570

$19.51 ฿656

71.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 MUR 297

$3.65 ฿123

72.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.99 MUR 1,033

$13.05 ฿439

68.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 MUR 83.5

$3.23 ฿109

-44.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MUR 90.5

$1.62 ฿54.4

19.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.2

$2.38 ฿80.2

-39.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 MUR 128

$2.03 ฿68.2

33.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.86

$1.53 ฿51.6

-34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.83

$1.50 ฿50.5

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 MUR 37.44

$0.98 ฿32.93

-18.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 MUR 20.25

$0.52 ฿17.40

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 MUR 306

$4.44 ฿149

46.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 MUR 388

$18.32 ฿616

-54.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MUR 80.5

$1.86 ฿62.7

-8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MUR 75.7

$2.68 ฿90.2

-39.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 MUR 51.0

$1.41 ฿47.49

-22.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.49 MUR 211

$3.11 ฿105

44.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 MUR 127

$1.04 ฿35.08

159.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.14 MUR 946

$14.11 ฿475

42.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MUR 66.4

$1.31 ฿44.13

7.63%

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

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

27.50%

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

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-14.19%

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

$50.1 MUR 2,353

$122 ฿4,120

-59.10%

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

$15.43 MUR 725

$13.59 ฿457

13.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 MUR 1,480

$18.70 ฿629

68.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 MUR 2,844

$60.5 ฿2,035

0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$5.90 MUR 277

$9.07 ฿305

-34.95%

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

$154 MUR 7,242

$706 ฿23.8K

-78.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,053 MUR 378.3K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-49.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 MUR 2,539

$58.6 ฿1,970

-7.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.8 MUR 3,655

$35.36 ฿1,190

119.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 MUR 5,457

$115 ฿3,885

0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.1 MUR 3,902

$83.7 ฿2,818

-0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$634 MUR 29.8K

$626 ฿21.1K

1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 MUR 16.9K

$445 ฿15.0K

-19.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MUR 60.8K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-36.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 MUR 71.4K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

1.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,319 MUR 61.9K

$500 ฿16.8K

163.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.33

21.95%

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

Last update for Grand Bay: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $634 in Grand Bay and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 164% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Grand Bay vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $289 per month, with Phuket 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

Grand Bay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 164% higher in Grand Bay, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $634 in Grand Bay versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $154 in Grand Bay versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Grand Bay – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,149 in Grand Bay versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Grand Bay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Grand Bay 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, Grand Bay 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 Grand Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.