Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayari and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayari and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,514 in Mayari versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,896 in Mayari versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,279 in Mayari versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Mayari is roughly 20% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mayari is 14% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 CUP 145

$4.48 ฿150

34.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.18 CUP 484

$45.59 ฿1,521

-55.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 CUP 155

$8.76 ฿292

-26.48%

Cappuccino

$1.33 CUP 31.87

$2.97 ฿99.0

-55.22%

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

$2.18 CUP 52.2

$0.69 ฿22.90

215.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 CUP 29.64

$0.39 ฿13.04

217.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 CUP 61.1

$2.53 ฿84.4

0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 CUP 71.4

$3.75 ฿125

-20.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.89 CUP 69.3

$2.15 ฿71.6

34.42%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 CUP 18.92

$1.82 ฿60.6

-56.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 CUP 61.1

$2.18 ฿72.9

16.97%

Eggs

$3.09 CUP 74.2

$2.25 ฿75.0

37.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 CUP 143

$20.00 ฿667

-70.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 CUP 129

$3.63 ฿121

47.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.81 CUP 283

$13.56 ฿452

-12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 CUP 121

$3.24 ฿108

55.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CUP 29.29

$1.64 ฿54.6

-25.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 CUP 33.31

$2.33 ฿77.8

-40.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 CUP 35.75

$2.07 ฿69.1

-28.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CUP 46.87

$1.55 ฿51.6

25.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 CUP 67.4

$1.46 ฿48.54

92.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.29

$0.98 ฿32.86

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CUP 25.90

$0.48 ฿16.09

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.45 CUP 82.8

$4.35 ฿145

-20.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 CUP 244

$18.57 ฿620

-45.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 CUP 42.39

$1.86 ฿61.9

-4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 CUP 47.18

$2.65 ฿88.6

-25.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 CUP 4.49

$1.42 ฿47.28

-86.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.16 CUP 484

$11.57 ฿386

74.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 CUP 55.6

$3.17 ฿106

-26.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 CUP 9.90

$1.03 ฿34.41

-60.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 CUP 471

$13.89 ฿463

41.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CUP 29.69

$1.34 ฿44.84

-7.46%

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

$71.0K CUP 1.7M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

155.51%

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

$79.3K CUP 1.9M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

137.64%

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

$34.70 CUP 833

$123 ฿4,105

-71.80%

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

$39.47 CUP 947

$13.77 ฿459

186.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$247 CUP 5,917

$18.33 ฿611

1245.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.53 CUP 949

$60.7 ฿2,025

-34.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 CUP 355

$17.16 ฿573

-13.93%

Cinema Ticket

$0.97 CUP 23.35

$8.87 ฿296

-89.06%

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

$118 CUP 2,841

$688 ฿22.9K

-82.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CUP 428.3K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

13.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CUP 1,302

$59.3 ฿1,978

-8.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.36 CUP 969

$34.69 ฿1,157

16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.37 CUP 1,065

$115 ฿3,843

-61.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.6 CUP 1,214

$83.8 ฿2,794

-39.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 CUP 5,163

$621 ฿20.7K

-65.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 CUP 15.9K

$446 ฿14.9K

48.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$379 CUP 9,100

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-81.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 CUP 16.6K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-53.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$400 CUP 9,591

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-88.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$356 CUP 8,535

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-85.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$22.02 CUP 529

$494 ฿16.5K

-95.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

87.62%

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

Last update for Mayari: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Mayari and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2142% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Mayari vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $247 vs $291 per month, with Mayari cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mayari vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Mayari. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2142% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $215 in Mayari versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,514 per month in Mayari versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,514 in Mayari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mayari. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mayari 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 20% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.