Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mersin and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mersin: $1,017 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Mersin
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Mersin Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Mersin

🇹🇷 Turkey

$1,017

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Mersin vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Mersin $1,017
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,532 per month in Mersin vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Mersin $1,532
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,047 per month in Mersin vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Mersin $2,047
Phuket $3,154

Mersin is about 20% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mersin and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mersin 25% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.63 ₺380

$4.47 ฿151

70.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.67 ₺1,479

$32.41 ฿1,094

-8.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 ₺386

$8.81 ฿297

-12.03%

Cappuccino

$3.18 ₺158

$2.83 ฿95.5

12.37%

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

$1.34 ₺66.7

$0.87 ฿29.43

54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₺12.35

$0.49 ฿16.67

-48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 ₺122

$2.56 ฿86.4

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ₺132

$3.68 ฿124

-27.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 ₺49.12

$1.66 ฿56.0

-40.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 ₺46.37

$1.46 ฿49.35

-36.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 ₺88.7

$1.50 ฿50.6

18.67%

Eggs

$2.08 ₺103

$2.09 ฿70.5

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 ₺458

$19.07 ฿644

-51.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 ₺195

$3.30 ฿111

18.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 ₺893

$10.91 ฿368

64.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 ₺82.5

$2.93 ฿99.0

-43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 ₺88.7

$1.69 ฿57.1

5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.92 ₺45.81

$2.25 ฿75.8

-59.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ₺62.5

$2.08 ฿70.1

-39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 ₺24.47

$1.51 ฿51.0

-67.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₺19.94

$1.38 ฿46.56

-71.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ₺46.34

$1.07 ฿35.99

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₺29.62

$0.52 ฿17.52

13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 ₺102

$4.20 ฿142

-51.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 ₺510

$18.79 ฿634

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 ₺117

$1.82 ฿61.5

29.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₺158

$2.84 ฿95.9

11.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 ₺31.64

$1.45 ฿49.03

-56.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.00 ₺997

$56.7 ฿1,913

-64.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₺51.1

$3.02 ฿102

-65.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 ₺25.58

$1.02 ฿34.36

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.97 ₺497

$3.69 ฿125

170.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₺61.9

$1.47 ฿49.81

-15.65%

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

$41.5K ₺2.1M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

55.15%

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

$38.4K ₺1.9M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

43.87%

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

$90.0 ₺4,486

$96.4 ฿3,254

-6.58%

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

$9.27 ₺462

$11.26 ฿380

-17.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.11 ₺553

$16.85 ฿569

-34.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ₺2,595

$67.2 ฿2,270

-22.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.10 ₺752

$10.73 ฿362

40.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 ₺308

$7.50 ฿253

-17.47%

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

$442 ₺22.0K

$476 ฿16.1K

-7.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,104 ₺354.0K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-36.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 ₺2,697

$62.4 ฿2,106

-13.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.01 ₺1,446

$28.41 ฿959

2.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₺5,653

$94.3 ฿3,184

20.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₺5,388

$85.8 ฿2,898

26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 ₺20.3K

$716 ฿24.2K

-43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ₺15.8K

$491 ฿16.6K

-35.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 ₺34.8K

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-63.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 ₺24.4K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-65.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,234 ₺61.5K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-70.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$927 ₺46.2K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-69.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$816 ₺40.7K

$502 ฿17.0K

62.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

41.5

5.57

645.06%

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

Last update for Mersin: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mersin

$316 31.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 55.2% $175

Groceries & Markets

Mersin

$216 21.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 23.2% $50

Eating Out

Mersin

$146 14.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 16.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Mersin

$137 13.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 11.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mersin

$110 10.9%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 12.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Mersin

$64 6.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 27.6% $18

Getting Around

Mersin

$26 2.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 170% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $407 in Mersin versus $716 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 62% higher in Mersin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Mersin versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $266 – making Mersin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇷 Mersin

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

04:07 4:07 AM

4 h ahead of Mersin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,773,852

79,308

💱 Currency

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to TRY – Turkish Lira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇷 Turkish Lira (₺)

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.48 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to TRY in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mersin Phuket 7,160 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Mersin
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

Mersin vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Mersin and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mersin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $407 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Public transport costs about 65% less in Mersin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $442 per month in Mersin and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,017 in Mersin and $1,278 in Phuket, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Mersin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 20% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.