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: $1,188 in Grand Bay versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,272 in Grand Bay versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,356 in Grand Bay versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Grand Bay costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grand Bay 13% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.01 MUR 283

$4.41 ฿147

36.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.0 MUR 2,971

$32.26 ฿1,077

95.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 MUR 339

$8.93 ฿298

-19.60%

Cappuccino

$2.72 MUR 128

$2.90 ฿96.6

-6.21%

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

$1.13 MUR 53.3

$0.88 ฿29.38

28.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 MUR 30.72

$0.48 ฿16.06

35.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 MUR 123

$2.35 ฿78.5

11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 MUR 221

$3.72 ฿124

26.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MUR 63.6

$1.87 ฿62.3

-27.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MUR 34.64

$1.47 ฿48.94

-50.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 MUR 52.5

$1.55 ฿51.8

-28.39%

Eggs

$2.45 MUR 115

$2.10 ฿70.1

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.77 MUR 979

$19.59 ฿654

6.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 MUR 292

$3.42 ฿114

81.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.47 MUR 1,012

$11.38 ฿380

88.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 MUR 91.9

$2.98 ฿99.6

-34.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 MUR 93.5

$1.68 ฿56.2

17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.8

$2.21 ฿73.7

-34.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 MUR 135

$2.16 ฿72.1

32.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.00

$1.52 ฿50.9

-34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.31

$1.34 ฿44.67

-23.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MUR 32.82

$1.13 ฿37.67

-38.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MUR 24.71

$0.55 ฿18.24

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.37 MUR 300

$4.26 ฿142

49.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.70 MUR 410

$19.09 ฿637

-54.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MUR 80.0

$1.78 ฿59.4

-4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 MUR 93.7

$2.78 ฿92.9

-28.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 MUR 49.31

$2.23 ฿74.4

-52.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 MUR 202

$3.03 ฿101

41.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 MUR 120

$1.02 ฿34.15

149.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.41 MUR 1,009

$3.89 ฿130

450.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MUR 65.8

$1.49 ฿49.77

-6.04%

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

$34.5K MUR 1.6M

$26.6K ฿887.3K

29.78%

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

$36.9K MUR 1.7M

$27.0K ฿902.2K

36.48%

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

$45.57 MUR 2,148

$102 ฿3,420

-55.53%

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

$15.76 MUR 743

$11.33 ฿378

39.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.56 MUR 1,393

$17.40 ฿581

69.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 MUR 2,734

$52.1 ฿1,738

11.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 MUR 293

$7.69 ฿257

-19.12%

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

$126 MUR 5,932

$561 ฿18.7K

-77.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,665 MUR 361.2K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-33.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 MUR 2,804

$63.0 ฿2,104

-5.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.4 MUR 2,988

$29.52 ฿986

114.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MUR 5,097

$98.0 ฿3,272

10.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 MUR 4,118

$88.5 ฿2,954

-1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 MUR 27.9K

$738 ฿24.6K

-19.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$442 MUR 20.8K

$482 ฿16.1K

-8.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 MUR 97.4K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-1.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 MUR 71.4K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

23.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,284 MUR 60.5K

$494 ฿16.5K

160.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

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

Last update for Grand Bay: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $592 in Grand Bay and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 160% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Grand Bay vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $274 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 Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 160% 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: $592 in Grand Bay versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $126 in Grand Bay versus $561 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 $63.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,188 in Grand Bay versus $1,232 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.