🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $765 in Mandeville versus $1,250 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,279 in Mandeville versus $2,284 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,794 in Mandeville versus $3,317 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Mandeville costs roughly 39% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Mandeville43% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mandeville
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.17JMD 974
$4.55฿153
35.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.0JMD 9,933
$46.18฿1,553
36.31%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.63JMD 1,362
$8.84฿297
-2.38%
Cappuccino
$2.16JMD 341
$3.06฿103
-29.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99JMD 156
$0.73฿24.40
35.62%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72JMD 113
$0.40฿13.39
80.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.21JMD 348
$2.43฿81.8
-9.05%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79JMD 441
$3.78฿127
-26.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mandeville
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$4.30JMD 678
$2.26฿76.0
90.27%
White Bread(500g)
$2.15JMD 339
$1.81฿60.9
18.78%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.61JMD 255
$2.25฿75.8
-28.44%
Eggs
$3.47JMD 547
$2.25฿75.5
54.22%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$11.22JMD 1,771
$19.51฿656
-42.49%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.46JMD 1,020
$3.65฿123
76.99%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$7.83JMD 1,235
$13.05฿439
-40.00%
Apples(1kg)
$6.00JMD 947
$3.23฿109
85.76%
Banana(1kg)
$3.10JMD 490
$1.62฿54.4
91.36%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.14JMD 654
$2.38฿80.1
73.95%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.90JMD 458
$2.03฿68.1
42.86%
Potato(1kg)
$2.08JMD 329
$1.53฿51.6
35.95%
Onion(1kg)
$2.03JMD 320
$1.50฿50.5
35.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.99JMD 472
$0.98฿32.91
205.10%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.49JMD 234
$0.52฿17.39
186.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$8.26JMD 1,303
$4.44฿149
86.04%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.18JMD 1,765
$18.32฿616
-38.97%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.76JMD 436
$1.86฿62.7
48.39%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09JMD 488
$2.68฿90.1
15.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Mandeville
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$1.41฿47.46
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.70฿393
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.12JMD 177
$3.11฿105
-63.99%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.21JMD 506
$1.04฿35.06
208.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$6.10JMD 963
$14.11฿474
-56.77%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.23JMD 195
$1.31฿44.10
-6.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.6KJMD 6.7M
$27.8K฿935.4K
53.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8KJMD 5.3M
$33.2K฿1.1M
1.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mandeville
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$92.9JMD 14.7K
$122฿4,118
-24.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.15JMD 3,495
$13.59฿457
62.99%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.3JMD 7,943
$18.70฿629
169.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mandeville
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$60.5฿2,034
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.77JMD 1,700
$16.98฿571
-36.57%
Cinema Ticket
$13.21JMD 2,085
$9.07฿305
45.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mandeville
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$226JMD 35.7K
$706฿23.8K
-68.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,532JMD 399.5K
$15.8K฿531.5K
-83.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mandeville
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$26.32JMD 4,153
$58.6฿1,969
-55.05%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.02JMD 4,105
$35.36฿1,189
-26.41%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$71.6JMD 11.3K
$115฿3,883
-37.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.4JMD 12.1K
$83.7฿2,816
-8.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mandeville
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$463JMD 73.0K
$626฿21.0K
-26.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$445฿15.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$2,040฿68.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,492฿50.2K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,768JMD 279.0K
$3,483฿117.1K
-49.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,577฿86.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mandeville
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$497JMD 78.4K
$500฿16.8K
-0.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.15
5.33
71.67%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Mandeville: July 13, 2026
Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $463 in Mandeville and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Phuket pays 1% 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: $63.0 in Mandeville vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $289 per month, with Phuket 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
Mandeville vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Mandeville?
Mandeville is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Mandeville or Phuket?
On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Mandeville and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $463 in Mandeville versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $226 in Mandeville versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Mandeville or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Mandeville – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mandeville or in Phuket?
At $765 in Mandeville versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mandeville but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mandeville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Mandeville or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Mandeville 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.
Which city is safer, Mandeville or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Mandeville 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Mandeville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Mandeville vs other spots: cost of living compared