Cost of Living Comparison Between Martin and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Martin and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,468 in Martin versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,088 in Martin versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,707 in Martin versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Martin is roughly 16% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Martin is 9% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.52 €8.25

$4.56 ฿150

108.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.93 €40.67

$46.63 ฿1,535

0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 €7.98

$8.47 ฿279

8.62%

Cappuccino

$2.86 €2.48

$3.03 ฿99.7

-5.61%

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

$1.79 €1.55

$0.69 ฿22.69

159.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.16

$0.37 ฿12.04

262.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 €1.84

$2.49 ฿81.9

-14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.04

$3.66 ฿120

-35.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$2.18 ฿71.8

-50.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.90 ฿62.6

-27.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.81

$2.20 ฿72.4

-5.45%

Eggs

$3.57 €3.09

$2.22 ฿73.2

60.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.88 €13.76

$19.99 ฿658

-20.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.91

$3.66 ฿121

117.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 €11.44

$13.25 ฿436

-0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 €1.07

$3.23 ฿106

-61.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.70 ฿55.9

3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.03

$2.39 ฿78.8

-2.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.90

$2.08 ฿68.4

5.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.59 ฿52.4

-13.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.48 ฿48.83

18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.03 ฿33.90

60.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$0.52 ฿17.01

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.13

$4.25 ฿140

39.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.78 €4.15

$18.79 ฿618

-74.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.76 ฿57.8

-39.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.03

$2.76 ฿90.8

-14.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.36 ฿44.79

8.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.91 €25.06

$11.36 ฿374

154.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 €1.24

$3.14 ฿103

-54.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.11

$1.04 ฿34.10

23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.02 €19.95

$13.77 ฿453

67.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.34 ฿44.26

31.34%

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

$23.4K €20.2K

$27.7K ฿911.1K

-15.60%

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

$24.9K €21.6K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-26.52%

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

$305 €265

$124 ฿4,069

146.93%

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

$27.57 €23.89

$13.52 ฿445

103.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.63 €10.94

$18.69 ฿615

-32.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.18 €33.09

$61.8 ฿2,035

-38.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 €14.87

$17.25 ฿568

-0.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.54 €8.27

$9.14 ฿301

4.38%

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

$348 €301

$703 ฿23.1K

-50.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,356 €6,375

$15.9K ฿522.5K

-53.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 €59.7

$59.5 ฿1,958

15.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.11 €12.23

$35.07 ฿1,154

-59.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 €65.1

$115 ฿3,795

-34.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €94.0

$84.1 ฿2,767

28.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 €456

$619 ฿20.4K

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 €418

$433 ฿14.2K

11.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 €678

$2,062 ฿67.9K

-62.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 €600

$1,511 ฿49.7K

-54.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,354 €2,041

$3,646 ฿120.0K

-35.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,761 €1,526

$2,626 ฿86.4K

-32.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,540 €1,335

$507 ฿16.7K

203.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.39

5.33

-17.64%

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

Last update for Martin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $527 in Martin and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Martin pays 204% 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: $47.00 in Martin vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $293 per month, with Martin 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

Martin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Martin pays 204% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $527 in Martin versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,468 per month in Martin versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 154% less than in Martin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,468 in Martin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Martin. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Martin 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Martin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.