Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manta and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Manta versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Manta $678
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Manta versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Manta $1,157
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,636 in Manta versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Manta $1,636
Phuket $2,867

Living in Manta costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manta 50% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$4.58 ฿153

-35.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 $52.2

$32.48 ฿1,086

60.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 $5.39

$8.55 ฿286

-36.96%

Cappuccino

$2.92 $2.92

$2.72 ฿91.0

7.35%

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

$0.52 $0.52

$0.94 ฿31.25

-44.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 $0.38

$0.49 ฿16.39

-22.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.59 ฿86.6

14.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.83 ฿128

-2.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.74 ฿58.1

-40.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.43 ฿47.82

33.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.53 ฿51.0

-35.95%

Eggs

$2.13 $2.13

$2.17 ฿72.7

-1.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$19.15 ฿640

-84.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.30 ฿110

-9.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$11.14 ฿372

-38.69%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.95 ฿98.5

-67.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.68 ฿56.1

-53.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 $0.71

$2.30 ฿76.8

-69.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.13 ฿71.3

-63.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.53 ฿51.1

-66.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.36 ฿45.55

-64.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.12 ฿37.44

-38.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.55 ฿18.24

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.26 ฿142

-4.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$18.19 ฿608

-62.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.74 ฿58.2

-40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.79 ฿93.3

-21.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 $0.50

$2.22 ฿74.1

-77.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.91 ฿97.3

-41.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.01 ฿33.79

72.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.27 $9.27

$3.83 ฿128

142.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.49 ฿49.85

-51.68%

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

$20.7K $20.7K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-22.54%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

15.30%

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

$97.1 $97.1

$99.4 ฿3,321

-2.25%

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

$11.13 $11.13

$11.28 ฿377

-1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.84 $25.84

$17.36 ฿580

48.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.23 $20.23

$52.3 ฿1,747

-61.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$10.85 ฿362

218.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 $4.89

$7.57 ฿253

-35.40%

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

$369 $369

$558 ฿18.7K

-33.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,783 $5,783

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-49.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 $55.2

$62.9 ฿2,102

-12.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 $40.87

$28.58 ฿955

43.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$96.1 ฿3,213

4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.8 $61.8

$88.1 ฿2,943

-29.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 $303

$729 ฿24.4K

-58.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 $141

$460 ฿15.4K

-69.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 $917

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-56.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 $334

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-72.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$474 $474

$493 ฿16.5K

-3.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

5.57

80.43%

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

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manta

$143 21.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 87.1% $125

Accommodation & Living

Manta

$141 20.9%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 226% $319

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manta

$134 19.8%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 4.5% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Manta

$116 17.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 6.6% $7.7

Eating Out

Manta

$101 14.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 20.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Manta

$30 4.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 125% $37

Getting Around

Manta

$12 * 1.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 214% $27

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 $303 in Manta and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 4% 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: $52.0 in Manta vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $143 vs $268, with Manta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Manta

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

11:12 11:12 AM

12 h ahead of Manta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,553

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manta Phuket 19,240 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Manta
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

Manta vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $303 in Manta versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $369 in Manta versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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, Manta 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 Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.