Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mahboula and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahboula: $1,239 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $470 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Mahboula
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Mahboula Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mahboula

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,239

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mahboula 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 Mahboula and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,239 in Mahboula versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Mahboula $1,239
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,004 in Mahboula versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Mahboula $2,004
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,769 in Mahboula versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Mahboula $2,769
Phuket $3,154

Living in Mahboula costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mahboula 9% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.57 KWD 2.04

$4.47 ฿151

46.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.24 KWD 7.84

$32.41 ฿1,092

-22.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 KWD 2.77

$8.81 ฿297

1.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 KWD 0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 KWD 1.01

Cappuccino

$5.15 KWD 1.60

$2.83 ฿95.3

81.98%

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

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.87 ฿29.37

-43.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 KWD 0.04

$0.49 ฿16.64

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 KWD 0.51

$1.66 ฿55.9

-1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 KWD 0.31

$1.46 ฿49.25

-32.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 KWD 0.58

$1.50 ฿50.4

24.67%

Eggs

$1.30 KWD 0.40

$2.09 ฿70.4

-37.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.48 KWD 1.39

$19.07 ฿642

-76.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 KWD 2.04

$3.30 ฿111

99.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 KWD 3.24

$10.91 ฿368

-4.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 KWD 0.78

$2.93 ฿98.7

-14.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 KWD 0.60

$1.69 ฿56.9

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 KWD 0.55

$2.25 ฿75.7

-20.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 KWD 0.36

$2.08 ฿70.0

-44.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 KWD 0.41

$1.51 ฿50.9

-12.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 KWD 0.35

$1.38 ฿46.47

-19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 KWD 0.70

$1.07 ฿35.91

112.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 KWD 0.15

$0.52 ฿17.49

-5.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.13 KWD 0.97

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 KWD 0.49

$4.20 ฿142

-62.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 KWD 0.24

$1.45 ฿48.93

-46.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.06 KWD 15.24

$56.7 ฿1,909

-13.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KWD 0.49

$3.02 ฿102

-48.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 KWD 0.50

$1.02 ฿34.29

56.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 KWD 1.71

$3.69 ฿124

49.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.15 KWD 0.05

$1.47 ฿49.70

-89.80%

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

$19.6K KWD 6,096

$26.8K ฿902.4K

-26.74%

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

$17.5K KWD 5,449

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-34.30%

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

$65.7 KWD 20.43

$96.4 ฿3,247

-31.78%

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

$16.29 KWD 5.06

$11.26 ฿380

44.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.36 KWD 9.44

$16.85 ฿568

80.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.6 KWD 30.32

$67.2 ฿2,266

45.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.79 KWD 14.85

$10.73 ฿361

345.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.67 KWD 3.94

$7.50 ฿253

68.93%

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

$379 KWD 118

$476 ฿16.0K

-20.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,632 KWD 2,061

$11.3K ฿379.6K

-41.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.09 KWD 11.84

$62.4 ฿2,102

-38.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.40 KWD 12.24

$28.41 ฿957

38.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 KWD 30.23

$94.3 ฿3,178

3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 KWD 27.52

$85.8 ฿2,892

3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 KWD 229

$716 ฿24.1K

2.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$505 KWD 157

$491 ฿16.5K

2.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 KWD 550

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-8.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 KWD 347

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-21.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,275 KWD 396

$502 ฿16.9K

153.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.57

17.24%

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

Last update for Mahboula: 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

Mahboula

$505 40.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 2.8% $14

Groceries & Markets

Mahboula

$175 14.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 52.4% $92

Eating Out

Mahboula

$144 11.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 15.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Mahboula

$123 9.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 33.1% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Mahboula

$119 9.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 2.9% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mahboula

$112 9.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 10.7% $12

Getting Around

Mahboula

$62 5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 14.3% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Mahboula and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahboula pays about 2.5 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25 in Mahboula vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $266 per month, with Mahboula cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇼 Mahboula

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:59 11:59 AM

15:59 3:59 PM

4 h ahead of Mahboula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,178

79,308

💱 Currency

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 KWD = 3.22 USD

1 KWD = 2.88 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to KWD – Kuwaiti Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇼 Kuwaiti Dinar (د.ك)

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.311 KWD (1 KWD = 3.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.347 KWD (1 KWD = 2.88 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to KWD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mahboula Phuket 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Mahboula
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

Mahboula vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mahboula is about 3% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Mahboula is about 2.5 times higher, 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: $737 in Mahboula versus $716 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 $25 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,239 per month in Mahboula versus $1,278 in Phuket – Mahboula is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Mahboula gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mahboula and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.