Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mersa Matruh and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mersa Matruh: $457 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mersa Matruh, Egypt
Phuket, Thailand
Mersa Matruh
🇪🇬 Egypt
$457
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $457 per month in Mersa Matruh vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Mersa Matruh $457
  • Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $749 per month in Mersa Matruh vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Mersa Matruh $749
  • Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $1,040 per month in Mersa Matruh vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Mersa Matruh $1,040
  • Phuket $2,845

Mersa Matruh is about 62% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mersa Matruh and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mersa Matruh 66% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mersa Matruh
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.20 E£234
$4.40 ฿148
-4.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.05 E£1,062
$32.26 ฿1,088
-40.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.72 E£264
$8.76 ฿296
-46.12%
Cappuccino
$1.27 E£70.6
$2.83 ฿95.3
-55.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 E£18.14
$0.90 ฿30.42
-63.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.11 E£6.01
$0.47 ฿15.71
-76.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.36 E£75.8
$2.55 ฿86.0
-46.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 E£156
$3.83 ฿129
-27.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mersa Matruh
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 E£48.65
$1.73 ฿58.2
-49.71%
White Bread (500g)
$0.66 E£37.07
$1.47 ฿49.56
-55.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.65 E£36.07
$1.51 ฿51.0
-56.95%
Eggs
$1.19 E£66.1
$2.17 ฿73.3
-45.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.80 E£212
$19.70 ฿664
-80.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.24 E£237
$3.34 ฿113
26.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.23 E£515
$11.16 ฿376
-17.29%
Apples (1kg)
$1.54 E£86.1
$2.85 ฿96.0
-45.96%
Banana (1kg)
$0.75 E£41.82
$1.70 ฿57.5
-55.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.55 E£30.85
$2.19 ฿73.9
-74.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.35 E£19.76
$2.05 ฿69.0
-82.93%
Potato (1kg)
$0.26 E£14.59
$1.45 ฿49.02
-82.07%
Onion (1kg)
$0.30 E£16.70
$1.38 ฿46.59
-78.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.27 E£15.19
$1.07 ฿36.02
-74.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.22 E£11.99
$0.51 ฿17.07
-56.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.85 E£103
$4.26 ฿144
-56.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 E£316
$18.58 ฿627
-69.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 E£69.6
$1.78 ฿60.2
-29.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 E£127
$2.85 ฿96.0
-20.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Mersa Matruh
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 E£11.72
$2.26 ฿76.3
-90.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$22.10 ฿745
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.56 E£31.13
$3.01 ฿102
-81.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.17 E£9.23
$1.06 ฿35.67
-83.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 E£67.1
$3.86 ฿130
-68.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.43 E£24.06
$1.45 ฿48.90
-70.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.5K E£1.8M
$26.3K ฿888.1K
23.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K E£1.5M
$26.9K ฿908.8K
0.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mersa Matruh
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$14.05 E£784
$96.4 ฿3,251
-85.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.68 E£373
$11.04 ฿372
-39.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.50 E£753
$17.14 ฿578
-21.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mersa Matruh
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.88 E£885
$52.2 ฿1,760
-69.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.16 ฿376
-
Cinema Ticket
$2.91 E£162
$7.81 ฿263
-62.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mersa Matruh
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$85.0 E£4,740
$556 ฿18.8K
-84.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,090 E£116.6K
$11.6K ฿390.6K
-81.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mersa Matruh
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.72 E£1,881
$64.2 ฿2,166
-47.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.91 E£2,560
$28.69 ฿968
60.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 E£7,112
$95.4 ฿3,217
33.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.4 E£3,202
$88.0 ฿2,968
-34.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mersa Matruh
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$128 E£7,152
$737 ฿24.9K
-82.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$76.7 E£4,278
$462 ฿15.6K
-83.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$256 E£14.3K
$2,095 ฿70.7K
-87.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$144 E£8,048
$1,201 ฿40.5K
-87.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$772 E£43.0K
$3,488 ฿117.6K
-77.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$354 E£19.7K
$2,523 ฿85.1K
-85.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mersa Matruh
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$94.2 E£5,253
$501 ฿16.9K
-81.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
21.33
5.57
282.94%

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

Last update for Mersa Matruh: 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
Mersa Matruh
$126
Phuket
$269 113% $142
Clothing & Footwear
Mersa Matruh
$119
Phuket
$124 4.4% $5.3
Eating Out
Mersa Matruh
$77
Phuket
$121 57.3% $44
Accommodation & Living
Mersa Matruh
$77
Phuket
$462 503% $386
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mersa Matruh
$34
Phuket
$125 264% $90
Sport & Entertainment
Mersa Matruh
$22
Phuket
$68 213% $46
Getting Around
Mersa Matruh
$2.2 *
Phuket
$39 1669% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $128 in Mersa Matruh 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 in Phuket are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Mersa Matruh versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $126 vs $269 – making Mersa Matruh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Mersa Matruh
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
05:37 5:37 AM
09:37 9:37 AM
4 h ahead of Mersa Matruh
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
140,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 55.77 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.49 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.79 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mersa Matruh Phuket 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mersa Matruh
  • 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
Mersa Matruh vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mersa Matruh or Phuket?
Phuket costs about 164% more than Mersa Matruh, 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 Mersa Matruh and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $686 per month in Mersa Matruh and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Mersa Matruh or Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Mersa Matruh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $128 there versus $737 in Phuket.
How do dining costs compare in Mersa Matruh and in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Mersa Matruh and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Mersa Matruh or in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 113% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $800/month in Mersa Matruh or in Phuket?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mersa Matruh, where all-in costs run around $457, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Mersa Matruh 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 Mersa Matruh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Mersa Matruh or to Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Mersa Matruh. 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.

Mersa Matruh vs other spots: cost of living compared

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