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: $1,541 in Mayari versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,934 in Mayari versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,327 in Mayari versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Mayari is roughly 22% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mayari is 15% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.85 CUP 140

$4.56 ฿149

28.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.67 CUP 472

$46.63 ฿1,519

-57.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 CUP 158

$8.47 ฿276

-22.20%

Cappuccino

$1.29 CUP 30.92

$3.03 ฿98.6

-57.43%

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

$2.17 CUP 52.2

$0.69 ฿22.45

214.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CUP 29.25

$0.37 ฿11.92

229.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 CUP 59.0

$2.49 ฿81.0

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CUP 71.7

$3.66 ฿119

-18.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.98 CUP 71.6

$2.18 ฿71.0

36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 CUP 18.85

$1.90 ฿62.0

-58.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 CUP 58.5

$2.20 ฿71.6

10.91%

Eggs

$3.04 CUP 72.9

$2.22 ฿72.4

36.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.88 CUP 141

$19.99 ฿651

-70.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 CUP 128

$3.66 ฿119

46.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.85 CUP 284

$13.25 ฿432

-10.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 CUP 123

$3.23 ฿105

57.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CUP 29.40

$1.70 ฿55.3

-27.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 CUP 32.84

$2.39 ฿78.0

-42.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 CUP 34.39

$2.08 ฿67.7

-31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 CUP 44.94

$1.59 ฿51.8

17.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 CUP 68.0

$1.48 ฿48.31

91.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.31

$1.03 ฿33.54

-1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CUP 25.66

$0.52 ฿16.83

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 CUP 86.0

$4.25 ฿138

-15.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.12 CUP 243

$18.79 ฿612

-46.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CUP 40.99

$1.76 ฿57.2

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 CUP 45.52

$2.76 ฿89.8

-31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 CUP 5.40

$1.36 ฿44.32

-83.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.07 CUP 482

$11.36 ฿370

76.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 CUP 55.3

$3.14 ฿102

-26.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 CUP 9.34

$1.04 ฿33.74

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.91 CUP 478

$13.77 ฿448

44.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CUP 30.40

$1.34 ฿43.79

-5.22%

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

$68.6K CUP 1.6M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

147.99%

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

$80.7K CUP 1.9M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

138.19%

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

$34.59 CUP 830

$124 ฿4,025

-72.01%

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

$39.78 CUP 955

$13.52 ฿440

194.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$248 CUP 5,959

$18.69 ฿609

1228.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.91 CUP 958

$61.8 ฿2,013

-35.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 CUP 364

$17.25 ฿562

-12.06%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.54

$9.14 ฿298

-88.84%

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

$116 CUP 2,788

$703 ฿22.9K

-83.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CUP 428.2K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

12.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CUP 1,330

$59.5 ฿1,937

-6.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.96 CUP 959

$35.07 ฿1,142

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.34 CUP 1,064

$115 ฿3,754

-61.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.19 CUP 1,181

$84.1 ฿2,737

-41.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 CUP 5,151

$619 ฿20.1K

-65.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 CUP 16.4K

$433 ฿14.1K

57.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$382 CUP 9,165

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-81.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 CUP 16.3K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-54.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$390 CUP 9,365

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-89.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$357 CUP 8,556

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-86.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$21.99 CUP 528

$507 ฿16.5K

-95.66%

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: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Mayari and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2206% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $246 vs $293 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 22% 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, Phuket earns 2206% less. 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 $619 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 $47.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,541 per month in Mayari versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,541 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 $1,261 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 22% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.