Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahboula and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahboula and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,249 in Mahboula versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,042 in Mahboula versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,836 in Mahboula versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Mahboula is roughly 1% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mahboula 7% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 KWD 2.06

$4.63 ฿151

44.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.42 KWD 8.14

$46.84 ฿1,523

-43.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 KWD 2.78

$8.84 ฿287

2.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 KWD 0.98

Cappuccino

$5.95 KWD 1.83

$3.00 ฿97.4

98.33%

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

$0.50 KWD 0.15

$0.74 ฿24.11

-32.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 KWD 0.05

$0.37 ฿11.88

-54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 KWD 0.48

$2.26 ฿73.5

-31.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 KWD 0.31

$1.84 ฿59.8

-46.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 KWD 0.53

$2.24 ฿73.0

-23.66%

Eggs

$1.34 KWD 0.41

$2.32 ฿75.3

-42.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.18 KWD 1.60

$19.67 ฿639

-73.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 KWD 2.05

$3.65 ฿119

82.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 KWD 3.14

$13.10 ฿426

-22.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 KWD 0.72

$3.39 ฿110

-30.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 KWD 0.61

$1.64 ฿53.4

20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 KWD 0.53

$2.41 ฿78.5

-28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 KWD 0.34

$2.03 ฿66.0

-44.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 KWD 0.38

$1.56 ฿50.6

-21.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 KWD 0.36

$1.50 ฿48.66

-22.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 KWD 0.51

$1.02 ฿33.30

62.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 KWD 0.14

$0.49 ฿15.91

-8.16%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.16 KWD 0.97

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 KWD 0.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 KWD 0.51

$4.45 ฿145

-62.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 KWD 0.24

$1.40 ฿45.54

-44.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.41 KWD 15.22

$11.48 ฿373

330.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 KWD 0.49

$3.12 ฿101

-48.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 KWD 0.51

$1.00 ฿32.48

65.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 KWD 1.76

$14.09 ฿458

-59.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.20 KWD 0.06

$1.35 ฿43.93

-85.19%

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

$19.7K KWD 6,061

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-27.61%

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

$17.8K KWD 5,469

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-46.07%

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

$63.1 KWD 19.43

$125 ฿4,063

-49.54%

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

$16.17 KWD 4.98

$13.57 ฿441

19.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.68 KWD 7.91

$18.52 ฿602

38.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$94.9 KWD 29.23

$61.5 ฿1,999

54.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.91 KWD 14.45

$16.84 ฿547

178.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 KWD 3.52

$9.19 ฿299

24.37%

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

$389 KWD 120

$698 ฿22.7K

-44.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,527 KWD 2,010

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-58.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.99 KWD 13.24

$57.8 ฿1,878

-25.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.85 KWD 13.20

$35.24 ฿1,146

21.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 KWD 27.47

$113 ฿3,677

-21.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 KWD 25.01

$86.4 ฿2,808

-6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 KWD 223

$616 ฿20.0K

17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 KWD 159

$446 ฿14.5K

15.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 KWD 543

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-13.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 KWD 353

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-23.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,318 KWD 406

$524 ฿17.0K

151.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.14

5.33

33.96%

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

Last update for Mahboula: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $724 in Mahboula and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahboula pays 152% 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: $26.00 in Mahboula vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $171 vs $292 per month, with Mahboula 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

Mahboula vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mahboula pays 152% more on average, 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: $724 in Mahboula versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $26.00 in Mahboula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,249 per month in Mahboula versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,249 in Mahboula, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mahboula. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mahboula, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mahboula 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Mahboula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.