Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maha Sarakham and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Maha Sarakham: $925 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Maha Sarakham
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Maha Sarakham Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Maha Sarakham

🇹🇭 Thailand

$925

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maha Sarakham and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Maha Sarakham and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $925 per month in Maha Sarakham vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Maha Sarakham $925
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Maha Sarakham vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Maha Sarakham $1,487
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,049 per month in Maha Sarakham vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Maha Sarakham $2,049
Phuket $3,154

Maha Sarakham is about 28% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Maha Sarakham and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Maha Sarakham 32% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 ฿103

$4.47 ฿151

-31.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.12 ฿815

$32.41 ฿1,094

-25.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 ฿256

$8.81 ฿297

-14.07%

Cappuccino

$1.93 ฿65.3

$2.83 ฿95.5

-31.80%

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

$0.66 ฿22.18

$0.87 ฿29.43

-24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.03

$0.49 ฿16.67

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 ฿71.4

$2.56 ฿86.4

-17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 ฿100

$3.68 ฿124

-19.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 ฿60.0

$1.66 ฿56.0

7.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.46 ฿49.35

0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.27

$1.50 ฿50.6

-8.67%

Eggs

$1.99 ฿67.0

$2.09 ฿70.5

-4.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.71 ฿564

$19.07 ฿644

-12.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.69 ฿90.7

$3.30 ฿111

-18.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.30 ฿348

$10.91 ฿368

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿98.2

$2.93 ฿99.0

-0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.81

$1.69 ฿57.1

-37.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.6

$2.25 ฿75.8

-4.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 ฿63.7

$2.08 ฿70.1

-9.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿51.4

$1.51 ฿51.0

0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.79

$1.38 ฿46.56

-23.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.38

$1.07 ฿35.99

0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ฿18.06

$0.52 ฿17.52

1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ฿147

$4.20 ฿142

3.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.70 ฿598

$18.79 ฿634

-5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 ฿57.9

$1.82 ฿61.5

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 ฿97.5

$2.84 ฿95.9

1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 ฿31.12

$1.45 ฿49.03

-36.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.25

$3.02 ฿102

-61.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 ฿37.90

$1.02 ฿34.36

9.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 ฿205

$3.69 ฿125

64.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿45.41

$1.47 ฿49.81

-8.84%

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

$26.4K ฿892.2K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-1.33%

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

$26.8K ฿905.1K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

0.41%

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

$82.2 ฿2,777

$96.4 ฿3,254

-14.65%

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

$11.66 ฿394

$11.26 ฿380

3.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.97 ฿641

$16.85 ฿569

12.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.45 ฿1,602

$67.2 ฿2,270

-29.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.36 ฿451

$10.73 ฿362

24.51%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 ฿222

$7.50 ฿253

-12.27%

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

$581 ฿19.6K

$476 ฿16.1K

22.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K ฿368.8K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-3.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 ฿1,700

$62.4 ฿2,106

-19.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.75 ฿1,005

$28.41 ฿959

4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.1 ฿2,605

$94.3 ฿3,184

-18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 ฿2,571

$85.8 ฿2,898

-11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ฿14.8K

$716 ฿24.2K

-38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 ฿10.1K

$491 ฿16.6K

-39.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 ฿38.3K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-41.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 ฿23.2K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-52.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,968 ฿66.5K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-52.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 ฿50.0K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-51.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Maha Sarakham: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Maha Sarakham

$298 32.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 64.5% $192

Groceries & Markets

Maha Sarakham

$246 26.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maha Sarakham

$113 12.2%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 10.3% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Maha Sarakham

$105 11.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 16.1% $17

Eating Out

Maha Sarakham

$91 9.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 34% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Maha Sarakham

$61 6.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 35.7% $22

Getting Around

Maha Sarakham

$10 * 1.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 575% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $439 in Maha Sarakham versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Maha Sarakham versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $266 – making Maha Sarakham the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Maha Sarakham

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

Same time as Maha Sarakham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,523

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Maha Sarakham Phuket 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Maha Sarakham
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Maha Sarakham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $925 in Maha Sarakham, $1,278 in Phuket – Maha Sarakham comes out roughly 28% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,387 per month in Maha Sarakham and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maha Sarakham, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $439 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Maha Sarakham and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Maha Sarakham, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Maha Sarakham it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $925 in Maha Sarakham to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.