Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroua and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroua: $348 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Maroua, Cameroon
Phuket, Thailand
Maroua
🇨🇲 Cameroon
$348
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $348 in Maroua versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Maroua $348
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $519 in Maroua versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Maroua $519
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $690 in Maroua versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Maroua $690
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Maroua costs roughly 73% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maroua 74% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Maroua
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
-
$4.47 ฿151
-
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$32.41 ฿1,093
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$8.81 ฿297
-
Cappuccino
-
$2.83 ฿95.4
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.87 ฿29.40
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.49 ฿16.65
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.56 ฿86.3
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.68 ฿124
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Maroua
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 FCFA 972
$1.66 ฿55.9
-
White Bread (500g)
$0.84 FCFA 489
$1.46 ฿49.29
-42.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.84 FCFA 1,662
$1.50 ฿50.5
89.33%
Eggs
$5.62 FCFA 3,290
$2.09 ฿70.5
168.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.13 FCFA 2,998
$19.07 ฿643
-73.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.24 FCFA 3,064
$3.30 ฿111
58.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.31 FCFA 1,936
$10.91 ฿368
-69.66%
Apples (1kg)
$1.72 FCFA 1,003
$2.93 ฿98.8
-41.30%
Banana (1kg)
$0.87 FCFA 508
$1.69 ฿57.0
-48.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.87 FCFA 511
$2.25 ฿75.7
-61.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 FCFA 1,016
$2.08 ฿70.0
-16.35%
Potato (1kg)
$2.60 FCFA 1,519
$1.51 ฿51.0
72.19%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 FCFA 1,000
$1.38 ฿46.51
23.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
-
$1.07 ฿35.95
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 FCFA 480
$0.52 ฿17.50
57.69%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.20 ฿142
-
Wine (Bottle)
$11.12 FCFA 6,504
$18.79 ฿634
-40.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.87 FCFA 511
$1.82 ฿61.4
-52.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 FCFA 1,022
$2.84 ฿95.8
-38.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Maroua
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.45 ฿48.97
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,911
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.02 ฿102
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.02 ฿34.32
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.69 ฿124
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.47 ฿49.75
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$26.8K ฿903.2K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$26.7K ฿900.3K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maroua
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$51.6 FCFA 30.2K
$96.4 ฿3,250
-46.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.43 FCFA 4,932
$11.26 ฿380
-25.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$16.85 ฿568
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Maroua
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$16.99 FCFA 9,937
$67.2 ฿2,268
-74.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$1.69 FCFA 988
$10.73 ฿362
-84.25%
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.50 ฿253
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Maroua
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$476 ฿16.1K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.3K ฿379.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Maroua
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$62.4 ฿2,103
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$28.41 ฿958
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$94.3 ฿3,180
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$85.8 ฿2,894
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Maroua
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$716 ฿24.1K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$83.7 FCFA 48.9K
$491 ฿16.6K
-82.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$154 FCFA 89.9K
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-89.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿140.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Maroua
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿16.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Maroua: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Maroua
–
Phuket
$491
Groceries & Markets
Maroua
–
Phuket
$266
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Maroua
–
Phuket
$124
Clothing & Footwear
Maroua
–
Phuket
$122
Eating Out
Maroua
–
Phuket
$122
Sport & Entertainment
Maroua
–
Phuket
$82
Getting Around
Maroua
–
Phuket
$71
Good to know
🇨🇲 Maroua
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
19:15 7:15 PM
01:15 1:15 AM
6 h ahead of Maroua
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,119,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Maroua Phuket 9,200 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Maroua
  • 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
Maroua vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maroua cheaper than Phuket?
Maroua is about 73% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $522 in Maroua and $1,917 in Phuket 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.
How do food prices compare in Maroua and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Maroua and in Phuket?
All in, you’ll spend $348 per month in Maroua versus $1,278 in Phuket – Maroua is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Maroua or in Phuket?
At $348 in Maroua versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maroua but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Maroua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Maroua or in Phuket?
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.

Maroua vs other spots: cost of living compared

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