Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marsa and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,871 in Marsa, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Marsa
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Marsa Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Marsa

🇲🇹 Malta

$2,871

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,871 per month in Marsa vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Marsa $2,871
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,976 per month in Marsa vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Marsa $3,976
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $5,081 per month in Marsa vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Marsa $5,081
Phuket $3,154

Marsa costs about 125% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Marsa sits 111% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.41 €17.31

$4.47 ฿151

334.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.0

$32.41 ฿1,093

162.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.67 €12.19

$8.81 ฿297

55.16%

Cappuccino

$2.69 €2.40

$2.83 ฿95.4

-4.95%

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

$2.28 €2.04

$0.87 ฿29.40

162.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.02

$0.49 ฿16.65

363.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €4.08

$2.56 ฿86.3

78.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.25

$3.68 ฿124

-31.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.66 ฿55.9

-18.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.46 ฿49.29

-11.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 €3.76

$1.50 ฿50.5

181.33%

Eggs

$4.33 €3.87

$2.09 ฿70.5

107.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 €7.52

$19.07 ฿643

-55.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 €9.14

$3.30 ฿111

210.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 €16.48

$10.91 ฿368

69.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 €3.81

$2.93 ฿98.8

45.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$1.69 ฿57.0

59.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 €3.17

$2.25 ฿75.7

57.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$2.08 ฿70.0

57.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.01

$1.51 ฿51.0

49.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$1.38 ฿46.51

35.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.07 ฿35.95

112.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.17

$0.52 ฿17.50

151.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €6.11

$4.20 ฿142

63.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 €7.46

$18.79 ฿634

-55.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.46

$1.82 ฿61.4

-10.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.84 ฿95.8

-17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.75 €5.13

$3.02 ฿102

90.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.29 €2.04

$1.02 ฿34.32

124.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.56 €23.69

$3.69 ฿124

619.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.47 ฿49.75

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

$37.4K €33.3K

$26.8K ฿903.2K

39.59%

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

$38.4K €34.2K

$26.7K ฿900.3K

43.70%

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

$103 €92.2

$96.4 ฿3,250

7.30%

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

$24.97 €22.28

$11.26 ฿380

121.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.87 €38.25

$16.85 ฿568

154.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 €9.09

$7.50 ฿253

35.87%

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

$372 €332

$476 ฿16.1K

-21.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,953

$11.3K ฿379.9K

-0.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.1 €76.8

$62.4 ฿2,103

38.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 €35.59

$28.41 ฿958

40.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.4

$94.3 ฿3,180

7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 €69.1

$85.8 ฿2,894

-9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 €2,213

$716 ฿24.1K

246.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 €1,718

$491 ฿16.6K

292.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 €2,026

$1,927 ฿65.0K

17.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,758 €2,460

$1,431 ฿48.3K

92.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,229 €2,881

$502 ฿16.9K

542.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.9

5.57

-47.94%

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

Last update for Marsa: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marsa

$1.9K 67.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 74.5% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Marsa

$326 11.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 18.2% $59

Eating Out

Marsa

$275 9.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 55.7% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marsa

$171 6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 27.3% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Marsa

$137 4.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 11.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Marsa

$20 * 0.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 304% $62

Getting Around

Marsa

$17 * 0.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 311% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,481 in Marsa versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Marsa are about 6.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Marsa versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $326 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Marsa

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

23:42 11:42 PM

6 h ahead of Marsa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Marsa Phuket 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Marsa
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

Marsa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Marsa is pricier by about 125%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,307 per month in Marsa and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $2,481 in Marsa.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,871 in Marsa and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 55% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $372 per month in Marsa and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Marsa at $2,871. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Marsa 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 $1,278 in Phuket to $2,871 in Marsa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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