Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Masindi and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Masindi: $394 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Masindi
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Masindi Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Masindi

🇺🇬 Uganda

$394

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $394 in Masindi versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Masindi $394
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $621 in Masindi versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Masindi $621
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $849 in Masindi versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Masindi $849
Phuket $3,115

Living in Masindi costs roughly 70% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Masindi 71% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 UGX 10.1K

$4.39 ฿148

-46.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.57 UGX 100.7K

$32.31 ฿1,086

-27.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 UGX 29.1K

$8.70 ฿293

-21.72%

Cappuccino

$2.46 UGX 10.5K

$2.72 ฿91.6

-9.56%

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

$0.34 UGX 1,440

$0.93 ฿31.28

-63.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 UGX 1,119

$0.50 ฿16.79

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 UGX 5,135

$2.53 ฿85.1

-52.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 UGX 7,588

$3.63 ฿122

-50.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 UGX 3,439

$1.74 ฿58.5

-54.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.81 UGX 3,481

$1.45 ฿48.77

-44.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,291

$1.50 ฿50.5

-17.33%

Eggs

$1.41 UGX 6,046

$2.17 ฿73.0

-35.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.09 UGX 17.5K

$19.09 ฿642

-78.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 UGX 18.5K

$3.40 ฿114

27.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.57 UGX 19.5K

$10.90 ฿366

-58.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 UGX 8,717

$2.94 ฿98.9

-30.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 UGX 5,958

$1.69 ฿56.9

-17.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,140

$2.19 ฿73.8

-45.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 UGX 5,290

$2.12 ฿71.4

-41.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 UGX 5,109

$1.46 ฿49.03

-17.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 UGX 5,359

$1.37 ฿45.99

-8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 UGX 3,172

$1.08 ฿36.17

-31.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 UGX 2,098

$0.55 ฿18.34

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 UGX 9,872

$4.43 ฿149

-47.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 UGX 29.8K

$18.25 ฿614

-61.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 UGX 4,294

$1.77 ฿59.6

-43.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 UGX 7,574

$2.88 ฿96.8

-38.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 UGX 2,078

$1.51 ฿50.9

-67.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 UGX 1,187

$0.78 ฿26.08

-64.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 UGX 12.1K

$3.84 ฿129

-26.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 UGX 6,019

$1.49 ฿50.0

-5.37%

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

$6,986 UGX 29.9M

$26.9K ฿903.7K

-74.01%

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

$6,992 UGX 29.9M

$26.3K ฿885.7K

-73.46%

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

$67.4 UGX 288.2K

$97.8 ฿3,288

-31.06%

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

$10.93 UGX 46.7K

$11.29 ฿380

-3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.25 UGX 142.1K

$17.19 ฿578

93.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 UGX 30.3K

$7.43 ฿250

-4.71%

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

$263 UGX 1.1M

$530 ฿17.8K

-50.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K UGX 68.4M

$18.8K ฿631.4K

-14.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.33 UGX 57.0K

$61.7 ฿2,073

-78.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.33 UGX 52.7K

$28.25 ฿950

-56.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.68 UGX 131.1K

$96.0 ฿3,228

-68.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.51 UGX 173.1K

$86.8 ฿2,919

-53.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

20.75

5.57

272.53%

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

Last update for Masindi: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Masindi

$141 35.9%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 88.7% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Masindi

$112 28.4%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 13.2% $15

Eating Out

Masindi

$81 20.6%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 47.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Masindi

$44 11.1%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 182% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Masindi

$14 * 3.6%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 487% $69

Getting Around

Masindi

$1.9 * 0.5%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 3414% $64

Accommodation & Living

Masindi

- * 0%

Phuket

$509 39.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24 in Masindi vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $141 vs $267 per month, with Masindi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇬 Masindi

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

23:33 11:33 PM

4 h ahead of Masindi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

94,622

79,308

💱 Currency

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.09 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to UGX – Ugandan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling (Sh)

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 4,273 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.34 USD). 1 EUR = 4,791 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.09 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to UGX in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Masindi Phuket 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Masindi
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

Masindi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masindi is about 70% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $590 in Masindi and $1,940 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $394 per month in Masindi versus $1,294 in Phuket – Masindi is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $394 in Masindi versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Masindi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Masindi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.