Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbeya and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $426 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Mbeya
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Mbeya Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Mbeya

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$426

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $426 per month in Mbeya vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Mbeya $426
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $656 per month in Mbeya vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Mbeya $656
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $887 per month in Mbeya vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Mbeya $887
Phuket $2,845

Mbeya is about 65% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mbeya and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mbeya 69% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.68 TZS 59.4K

$32.26 ฿1,078

-29.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 TZS 20.4K

$8.76 ฿293

-11.30%

Cappuccino

$1.52 TZS 3,989

$2.83 ฿94.5

-46.29%

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

$0.37 TZS 958

$0.90 ฿30.14

-58.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 TZS 964

$0.47 ฿15.56

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 TZS 1,882

$2.55 ฿85.2

-71.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 TZS 1,435

$1.73 ฿57.7

-68.21%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 TZS 2,430

$1.47 ฿49.11

-36.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,414

$1.51 ฿50.6

-39.07%

Eggs

$2.32 TZS 6,067

$2.17 ฿72.7

6.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.80 TZS 9,949

$19.70 ฿658

-80.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 TZS 9,734

$3.34 ฿112

11.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.30 TZS 8,643

$11.16 ฿373

-70.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 TZS 3,003

$2.85 ฿95.1

-59.65%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,051

$1.70 ฿56.9

-54.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,581

$2.19 ฿73.3

-54.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 TZS 1,917

$2.05 ฿68.4

-64.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 TZS 2,538

$1.45 ฿48.57

-33.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,053

$1.38 ฿46.16

-43.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 TZS 1,465

$1.07 ฿35.69

-47.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 TZS 1,883

$0.51 ฿16.91

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.14 TZS 2,998

$4.26 ฿142

-73.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.72 TZS 9,744

$18.58 ฿621

-79.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 TZS 2,045

$1.78 ฿59.7

-56.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 TZS 3,038

$2.85 ฿95.2

-59.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 TZS 1,036

$2.26 ฿75.6

-82.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 TZS 2,891

$3.01 ฿101

-63.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 TZS 4,834

$1.06 ฿35.34

74.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 TZS 6,831

$3.86 ฿129

-32.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 TZS 3,204

$1.45 ฿48.45

-15.86%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$23.68 TZS 62.0K

$96.4 ฿3,221

-75.43%

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

$18.83 TZS 49.3K

$11.04 ฿369

70.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 TZS 120.7K

$17.14 ฿573

168.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 TZS 98.9K

$52.2 ฿1,744

-27.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 TZS 24.9K

$7.81 ฿261

21.64%

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

$191 TZS 500.6K

$556 ฿18.6K

-65.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,129 TZS 3.0M

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-90.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.42 TZS 29.9K

$64.2 ฿2,146

-82.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.23 TZS 24.2K

$28.69 ฿959

-67.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.08 TZS 50.0K

$95.4 ฿3,187

-79.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.12 TZS 68.4K

$88.0 ฿2,940

-70.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 TZS 297.4K

$737 ฿24.6K

-84.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.4 TZS 200.0K

$462 ฿15.5K

-83.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 TZS 491.0K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-91.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 TZS 292.3K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-90.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$191 TZS 501.5K

$501 ฿16.7K

-61.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

133.39%

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

Last update for Mbeya: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbeya

$115 26.9%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 134% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbeya

$89 20.8%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 40.6% $36

Accommodation & Living

Mbeya

$76 17.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 505% $386

Sport & Entertainment

Mbeya

$57 13.3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 19.4% $11

Eating Out

Mbeya

$48 * 11.3%

Phuket

$121 10% 152% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Mbeya

$30 7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 320% $95

Getting Around

Mbeya

$12 * 2.8%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 231% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $114 in Mbeya versus $737 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 161% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Mbeya versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $269 – making Mbeya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Mbeya

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

22:15 10:15 PM

4 h ahead of Mbeya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

541,603

79,308

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TZS in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mbeya Phuket 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mbeya
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

Mbeya vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 184%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $639 per month in Mbeya and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbeya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $426 in Mbeya and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 184%.

Kindergarten costs $191 per month in Mbeya and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mbeya, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Mbeya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mbeya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mbeya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.