Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mawlamyine and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mawlamyine: $657 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mawlamyine, Myanmar
Phuket, Thailand
Mawlamyine
🇲🇲 Myanmar
$657
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $657 per month in Mawlamyine vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Mawlamyine $657
  • Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $960 per month in Mawlamyine vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Mawlamyine $960
  • Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $1,264 per month in Mawlamyine vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Mawlamyine $1,264
  • Phuket $3,115

Mawlamyine is about 49% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mawlamyine and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mawlamyine 51% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mawlamyine
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.02 MMK 4,233
$4.39 ฿148
-53.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$32.31 ฿1,086
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.04 MMK 10.6K
$8.70 ฿293
-42.07%
Cappuccino
$0.98 MMK 2,056
$2.72 ฿91.6
-63.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 MMK 1,098
$0.93 ฿31.28
-44.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.50 ฿16.79
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.53 ฿85.1
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 MMK 3,182
$3.63 ฿122
-58.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mawlamyine
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 MMK 1,791
$1.74 ฿58.5
-50.57%
White Bread (500g)
$0.52 MMK 1,078
$1.45 ฿48.77
-64.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
-
$1.50 ฿50.5
-
Eggs
$2.98 MMK 6,238
$2.17 ฿73.0
37.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.41 MMK 17.6K
$19.09 ฿642
-55.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.08 MMK 4,365
$3.40 ฿114
-38.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$3.75 MMK 7,841
$10.90 ฿366
-65.60%
Apples (1kg)
$1.60 MMK 3,344
$2.94 ฿98.9
-45.58%
Banana (1kg)
$0.87 MMK 1,829
$1.69 ฿56.9
-48.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.72 MMK 3,602
$2.19 ฿73.8
-21.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.75 MMK 5,758
$2.12 ฿71.4
29.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.54 MMK 3,228
$1.46 ฿49.03
5.48%
Onion (1kg)
$0.37 MMK 769
$1.37 ฿45.99
-72.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 MMK 3,229
$1.08 ฿36.17
42.59%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21 MMK 439
$0.55 ฿18.34
-61.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$4.43 ฿149
-
Wine (Bottle)
-
$18.25 ฿614
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 MMK 2,573
$1.77 ฿59.6
-30.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 MMK 3,811
$2.88 ฿96.8
-36.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Mawlamyine
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.47 MMK 3,084
$1.45 ฿48.66
1.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.9 ฿1,845
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.95 MMK 4,081
$1.51 ฿50.9
29.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.55 MMK 5,330
$0.78 ฿26.08
226.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.84 ฿129
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 MMK 3,723
$1.49 ฿50.0
19.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$49.7K MMK 104.1M
$26.9K ฿903.7K
85.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K MMK 72.1M
$26.3K ฿885.7K
30.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mawlamyine
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.3 MMK 159.6K
$97.8 ฿3,288
-22.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.08 MMK 52.5K
$11.29 ฿380
122.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.12 MMK 102.9K
$17.19 ฿578
185.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mawlamyine
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$122 MMK 255.5K
$68.3 ฿2,297
78.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.13 MMK 10.7K
$10.92 ฿367
-53.02%
Cinema Ticket
$9.87 MMK 20.7K
$7.43 ฿250
32.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mawlamyine
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$501 MMK 1.0M
$530 ฿17.8K
-5.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,850 MMK 18.5M
$18.8K ฿631.4K
-52.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mawlamyine
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.57 MMK 82.8K
$61.7 ฿2,073
-35.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.48 MMK 74.3K
$28.25 ฿950
25.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$96.0 ฿3,228
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$23.60 MMK 49.4K
$86.8 ฿2,919
-72.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mawlamyine
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$254 MMK 532.2K
$721 ฿24.2K
-64.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$121 MMK 253.3K
$509 ฿17.1K
-76.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$594 MMK 1.2M
$1,950 ฿65.6K
-69.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$252 MMK 527.1K
$1,397 ฿47.0K
-81.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$807 MMK 1.7M
$4,192 ฿140.9K
-80.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$493 MMK 1.0M
$3,298 ฿110.9K
-85.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mawlamyine
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$492 ฿16.5K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
5.57
-10.23%

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

Last update for Mawlamyine: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mawlamyine
$150
Phuket
$126 16.1% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Mawlamyine
$142
Phuket
$83 41.3% $59
Groceries & Markets
Mawlamyine
$130 *
Phuket
$267 105% $137
Accommodation & Living
Mawlamyine
$121
Phuket
$509 321% $388
Eating Out
Mawlamyine
$48 *
Phuket
$120 148% $71
Clothing & Footwear
Mawlamyine
$44 *
Phuket
$123 176% $78
Getting Around
Mawlamyine
$21 *
Phuket
$66 221% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $254 in Mawlamyine versus $721 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know
🇲🇲 Mawlamyine
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
00:32 12:32 AM
01:02 1:02 AM
30 min ahead of Mawlamyine
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
300,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MMK – Myanmar Kyat Converter

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,347 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.26 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mawlamyine Phuket 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mawlamyine
  • 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
Mawlamyine vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mawlamyine or Phuket?
Phuket costs about 97% more than Mawlamyine, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Mawlamyine and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $985 per month in Mawlamyine and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mawlamyine or Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mawlamyine, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $721 in Phuket.
How much does it cost to live in Mawlamyine compared to Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $657 in Mawlamyine and $1,294 in Phuket. That makes Mawlamyine about 49% cheaper.
Are groceries more expensive in Mawlamyine or in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 105% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Mawlamyine or in Phuket?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mawlamyine, where all-in costs run around $657, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Mawlamyine it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Mawlamyine – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Mawlamyine vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?