Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manakara and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $397 per month in Manakara vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Manakara $397
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $610 per month in Manakara vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Manakara $610
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $822 per month in Manakara vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Manakara $822
Phuket $3,154

Manakara is about 69% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Manakara and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Manakara 71% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

$4.47 ฿151

-50.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.74 MGA 67.5K

$32.41 ฿1,092

-54.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.58 MGA 16.4K

$8.81 ฿297

-59.36%

Cappuccino

$1.14 MGA 5,205

$2.83 ฿95.3

-59.72%

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

$0.61 MGA 2,771

$0.87 ฿29.37

-29.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MGA 2,424

$0.49 ฿16.64

8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 MGA 5,424

$2.56 ฿86.2

-53.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MGA 6,721

$3.68 ฿124

-60.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MGA 8,161

$1.66 ฿55.9

7.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MGA 4,685

$1.46 ฿49.25

-30.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.67 MGA 3,057

$1.50 ฿50.4

-55.33%

Eggs

$2.28 MGA 10.4K

$2.09 ฿70.4

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 MGA 30.0K

$19.07 ฿642

-65.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 MGA 15.6K

$3.30 ฿111

3.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.60 MGA 16.5K

$10.91 ฿368

-67.00%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 MGA 4,365

$2.93 ฿98.7

-67.58%

Banana (1kg)

$0.72 MGA 3,304

$1.69 ฿56.9

-57.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 MGA 1,696

$2.25 ฿75.7

-83.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 MGA 3,265

$2.08 ฿70.0

-65.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MGA 2,679

$1.51 ฿50.9

-61.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MGA 3,203

$1.38 ฿46.47

-49.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MGA 1,584

$1.07 ฿35.91

-67.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MGA 2,903

$0.52 ฿17.49

21.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.36 MGA 6,248

$4.20 ฿142

-67.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.34 MGA 19.9K

$18.79 ฿633

-76.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 MGA 4,858

$1.82 ฿61.4

-41.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MGA 5,707

$2.84 ฿95.7

-55.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 MGA 961

$1.45 ฿48.93

-85.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.72 MGA 159.0K

$56.7 ฿1,909

-38.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 MGA 5,152

$3.02 ฿102

-62.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MGA 10.4K

$1.02 ฿34.29

121.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 MGA 15.2K

$3.69 ฿124

-10.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 MGA 5,111

$1.47 ฿49.70

-23.81%

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

$15.2K MGA 69.6M

$26.8K ฿902.4K

-43.23%

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

$20.7K MGA 94.7M

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-22.56%

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

$42.29 MGA 193.7K

$96.4 ฿3,247

-56.11%

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 MGA 245.6K

$16.85 ฿568

218.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.63 MGA 53.3K

$67.2 ฿2,266

-82.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$22.17 MGA 101.5K

$476 ฿16.0K

-95.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.20 MGA 74.2K

$62.4 ฿2,102

-74.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.07 MGA 91.9K

$28.41 ฿957

-29.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.60 MGA 204.3K

$94.3 ฿3,178

-52.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.80 MGA 200.6K

$85.8 ฿2,892

-48.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

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)

$115 MGA 527.9K

$502 ฿16.9K

-77.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

330.88%

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

Last update for Manakara: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manakara

$130 32.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 105% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manakara

$96 * 24.1%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 29.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Manakara

$56 14.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 117% $66

Eating Out

Manakara

$56 14%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 119% $66

Getting Around

Manakara

$48 12.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 47.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Manakara

$12 * 2.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 607% $71

Accommodation & Living

Manakara

- * 0%

Phuket

$491 38.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Phuket are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $15 in Manakara versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $130 vs $266 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇬 Manakara

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

15:12 3:12 PM

4 h ahead of Manakara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,237

79,308

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4,580 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,111 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 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 MGA in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manakara Phuket 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Manakara
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

Manakara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 222%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $596 per month in Manakara and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $22 per month in Manakara and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 105% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manakara, where all-in costs run around $397, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Manakara 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 $397 in Manakara to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Manakara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.