Cost of Living Comparison Between Mlava and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mlava and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,469 in Mlava versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,065 in Mlava versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,661 in Mlava versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Mlava is roughly 16% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mlava is 10% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.91 zł 39.77

$4.70 ฿153

132.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.82 zł 97.8

$45.37 ฿1,482

-40.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 zł 32.45

$8.43 ฿275

5.58%

Cappuccino

$2.65 zł 9.64

$2.93 ฿95.6

-9.56%

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

$1.97 zł 7.20

$0.69 ฿22.40

185.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 zł 6.32

$0.37 ฿11.99

367.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 zł 9.68

$2.41 ฿78.6

9.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 zł 14.44

$3.72 ฿122

6.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 zł 3.74

$2.23 ฿72.9

-53.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 zł 4.89

$1.83 ฿59.8

-26.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 zł 6.61

$2.17 ฿70.8

-16.59%

Eggs

$3.49 zł 12.74

$2.21 ฿72.3

57.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 zł 34.61

$19.74 ฿645

-51.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 zł 23.72

$3.63 ฿119

79.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.27 zł 48.38

$13.53 ฿442

-1.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.06 zł 3.86

$3.28 ฿107

-67.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 zł 6.78

$1.61 ฿52.6

15.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 zł 7.13

$2.41 ฿78.6

-19.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 zł 10.06

$2.08 ฿68.1

32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 zł 3.60

$1.53 ฿49.93

-35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 zł 4.17

$1.48 ฿48.36

-22.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 zł 5.12

$0.99 ฿32.29

41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 zł 2.51

$0.51 ฿16.67

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 zł 18.39

$4.41 ฿144

14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 zł 24.71

$19.38 ฿633

-65.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 zł 4.09

$1.78 ฿58.1

-37.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 zł 5.51

$2.71 ฿88.6

-44.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 zł 4.07

$1.37 ฿44.79

-18.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.03 zł 120

$11.39 ฿372

189.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 zł 8.13

$3.02 ฿98.6

-26.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 zł 3.00

$0.99 ฿32.48

-17.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.41 zł 48.89

$14.10 ฿461

-4.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 zł 6.14

$1.36 ฿44.51

23.53%

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

$31.9K zł 116.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

13.27%

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

$31.6K zł 115.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-3.82%

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

$310 zł 1,129

$122 ฿3,975

154.49%

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

$6.76 zł 24.67

$13.57 ฿443

-50.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.18 zł 29.84

$18.31 ฿598

-55.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 zł 132

$60.2 ฿1,967

-39.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.32 zł 70.5

$17.14 ฿560

12.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 zł 19.53

$8.69 ฿284

-38.32%

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

$379 zł 1,383

$693 ฿22.6K

-45.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,776 zł 28.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-50.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.7 zł 305

$59.5 ฿1,944

40.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.05 zł 157

$34.77 ฿1,136

23.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 zł 314

$115 ฿3,743

-24.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 zł 300

$83.3 ฿2,720

-1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$646 zł 2,357

$613 ฿20.0K

5.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 zł 1,839

$437 ฿14.3K

15.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$987 zł 3,599

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-52.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 zł 2,926

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-46.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,090 zł 11.3K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-17.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,304 zł 8,402

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-11.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,097 zł 3,999

$508 ฿16.6K

115.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.01

5.33

31.52%

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

Last update for Mlava: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $646 in Mlava and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mlava pays 116% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $27.00 in Mlava vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $293 per month, with Mlava cheaper across the board.

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

Mlava vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Mlava pays 116% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $646 in Mlava versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $379 in Mlava versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Mlava pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,469 in Mlava, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mlava. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mlava, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mlava 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 16% less than in Mlava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.