Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandalay and Mawlamyine

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandalay: $241 a month against $657 in Mawlamyine, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Mawlamyine
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Mawlamyine Living Index

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Mandalay

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$241

/mo nomad

Mawlamyine

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mandalay and in Mawlamyine

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $241 in Mandalay versus $657 in Mawlamyine.

Mandalay $241
Mawlamyine $657

Estimated couple costs with rent: $417 in Mandalay versus $960 in Mawlamyine.

Mandalay $417
Mawlamyine $960

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $594 in Mandalay versus $1,264 in Mawlamyine.

Mandalay $594
Mawlamyine $1,264

Living in Mandalay costs roughly 63% less than in Mawlamyine, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mandalay 82% lower, Mawlamyine 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 MMK 4,064

$2.02 MMK 4,233

-3.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.86 MMK 20.6K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 MMK 10.6K

Cappuccino

$1.26 MMK 2,647

$0.98 MMK 2,056

28.57%

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

$0.87 MMK 1,822

$0.52 MMK 1,098

67.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 MMK 2,133

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 MMK 2,038

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MMK 2,657

$1.52 MMK 3,182

-16.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 MMK 2,063

$0.86 MMK 1,791

15.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 MMK 2,054

$0.52 MMK 1,078

88.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.51 MMK 1,061

Eggs

$1.00 MMK 2,086

$2.98 MMK 6,238

-66.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 MMK 21.4K

$8.41 MMK 17.6K

21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 MMK 12.8K

$2.08 MMK 4,365

193.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.09 MMK 14.8K

$3.75 MMK 7,841

89.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 MMK 8,867

$1.60 MMK 3,344

165.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 MMK 2,067

$0.87 MMK 1,829

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 MMK 2,698

$1.72 MMK 3,602

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.72 MMK 1,515

$2.75 MMK 5,758

-73.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 MMK 2,781

$1.54 MMK 3,228

-13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 MMK 2,459

$0.37 MMK 769

216.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 MMK 859

$1.54 MMK 3,229

-73.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 MMK 603

$0.21 MMK 439

38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.02 MMK 2,134

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 MMK 10.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MMK 1,176

$1.23 MMK 2,573

-54.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 MMK 3,811

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 MMK 3,084

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 MMK 4,081

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 MMK 876

$2.55 MMK 5,330

-83.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 MMK 8,413

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 MMK 3,723

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

$49.7K MMK 104.1M

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

$34.4K MMK 72.1M

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

$76.3 MMK 159.6K

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

$6.69 MMK 14.0K

$25.08 MMK 52.5K

-73.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.12 MMK 102.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.32 MMK 38.4K

$122 MMK 255.5K

-84.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.13 MMK 10.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.87 MMK 20.7K

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

$238 MMK 497.3K

$501 MMK 1.0M

-52.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,804 MMK 12.2M

$8,850 MMK 18.5M

-34.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.57 MMK 82.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.48 MMK 74.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.60 MMK 49.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$200 MMK 418.5K

$254 MMK 532.2K

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$121 MMK 253.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 MMK 616.0K

$594 MMK 1.2M

-50.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 MMK 527.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$807 MMK 1.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$493 MMK 1.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$198 MMK 413.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

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

Last update for Mandalay: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mawlamyine: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mandalay

–

Mawlamyine

$150 22.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Mandalay

–

Mawlamyine

$142 21.6%

Groceries & Markets

Mandalay

–

Mawlamyine

$130 * 19.8%

Accommodation & Living

Mandalay

–

Mawlamyine

$121 18.4%

Eating Out

Mandalay

–

Mawlamyine

$48 * 7.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Mandalay

–

Mawlamyine

$44 * 6.8%

Getting Around

Mandalay

–

Mawlamyine

$21 * 3.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $200 in Mandalay and $254 in Mawlamyine. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇲🇲 Mandalay

🇲🇲 Mawlamyine

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

Same time as Mandalay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,208,099

300,000

💱 Currency

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Mandalay Mawlamyine 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mandalay
Mawlamyine

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

Mandalay vs Mawlamyine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandalay wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Mawlamyine. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mandalay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $362 in Mandalay and $985 in Mawlamyine to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $200 in Mandalay versus $254 in Mawlamyine. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $241 per month in Mandalay versus $657 in Mawlamyine – Mandalay is about 63% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Shoppers in Mawlamyine pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Mandalay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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