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: $1,217 in Mahboula versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,010 in Mahboula versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,803 in Mahboula versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Mahboula costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mahboula 9% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.60 KWD 2.05

$4.48 ฿150

47.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.12 KWD 8.11

$45.59 ฿1,525

-42.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 KWD 2.85

$8.76 ฿293

4.68%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 KWD 0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 KWD 1.00

Cappuccino

$5.77 KWD 1.79

$2.97 ฿99.3

94.28%

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

$0.48 KWD 0.15

$0.69 ฿22.96

-30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 KWD 0.05

$0.39 ฿13.07

-61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 KWD 0.48

$2.15 ฿71.8

-28.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.94 KWD 0.29

$1.82 ฿60.7

-48.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 KWD 0.56

$2.18 ฿73.1

-17.43%

Eggs

$1.34 KWD 0.42

$2.25 ฿75.2

-40.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.12 KWD 1.59

$20.00 ฿669

-74.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 KWD 1.97

$3.63 ฿121

74.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 KWD 3.22

$13.56 ฿453

-23.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 KWD 0.73

$3.24 ฿109

-27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 KWD 0.61

$1.64 ฿54.7

20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 KWD 0.56

$2.33 ฿78.0

-22.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 KWD 0.35

$2.07 ฿69.3

-45.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 KWD 0.39

$1.55 ฿51.8

-18.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 KWD 0.36

$1.46 ฿48.67

-20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 KWD 0.50

$0.98 ฿32.94

65.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 KWD 0.14

$0.48 ฿16.13

-4.17%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.24 KWD 1.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 KWD 0.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.67 KWD 0.52

$4.35 ฿146

-61.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 KWD 0.24

$1.42 ฿47.40

-44.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 KWD 15.20

$11.57 ฿387

323.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

$3.17 ฿106

-50.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 KWD 0.52

$1.03 ฿34.51

62.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 KWD 1.75

$13.89 ฿465

-59.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.16 KWD 0.05

$1.34 ฿44.96

-88.06%

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

$19.6K KWD 6,081

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-29.49%

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

$17.8K KWD 5,524

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-46.67%

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

$61.3 KWD 19.02

$123 ฿4,116

-50.19%

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

$16.37 KWD 5.08

$13.77 ฿461

18.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.84 KWD 8.02

$18.33 ฿613

40.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.7 KWD 28.77

$60.7 ฿2,030

52.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.43 KWD 14.10

$17.16 ฿574

164.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.24 KWD 3.49

$8.87 ฿297

26.72%

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

$392 KWD 122

$688 ฿23.0K

-42.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,526 KWD 2,025

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-58.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.24 KWD 13.11

$59.3 ฿1,984

-28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.25 KWD 13.11

$34.69 ฿1,160

21.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 KWD 27.61

$115 ฿3,853

-22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 KWD 25.23

$83.8 ฿2,802

-2.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 KWD 226

$621 ฿20.8K

17.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 KWD 156

$446 ฿14.9K

12.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,808 KWD 561

$2,034 ฿68.0K

-11.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 KWD 352

$1,496 ฿50.0K

-24.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,302 KWD 404

$494 ฿16.5K

163.86%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $728 in Mahboula and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahboula 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: $26.00 in Mahboula vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $291 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

Mahboula is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 164% higher in Mahboula, 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: $728 in Mahboula versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mahboula – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,217 per month in Mahboula versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,217 in Mahboula versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mahboula but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mahboula the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mahboula 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, 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 Mahboula 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.