Cost of Living Comparison Between Msaken and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Msaken and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $670 in Msaken versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,077 in Msaken versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,483 in Msaken versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Msaken costs roughly 47% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Msaken 50% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 TND 14.42

$4.70 ฿153

5.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.14 TND 70.1

$45.37 ฿1,482

-46.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 TND 14.69

$8.43 ฿275

-39.98%

Cappuccino

$1.02 TND 2.97

$2.93 ฿95.6

-65.19%

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

$0.69 TND 2.02

$0.69 ฿22.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.84

$0.37 ฿11.99

-21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 TND 3.41

$2.41 ฿78.6

-51.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 TND 8.01

$3.72 ฿122

-25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.49 TND 1.43

$2.23 ฿72.9

-78.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.17 TND 0.48

$1.83 ฿59.8

-90.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 TND 3.75

$2.17 ฿70.8

-40.55%

Eggs

$1.67 TND 4.86

$2.21 ฿72.3

-24.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 TND 35.00

$19.74 ฿645

-38.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 TND 18.37

$3.63 ฿119

74.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 TND 39.95

$13.53 ฿442

1.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 TND 6.06

$3.28 ฿107

-36.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 TND 9.30

$1.61 ฿52.6

98.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 TND 3.26

$2.41 ฿78.6

-53.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 TND 2.19

$2.08 ฿68.1

-63.94%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 TND 2.02

$1.53 ฿49.93

-54.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 TND 1.71

$1.48 ฿48.36

-60.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.40 TND 1.17

$0.99 ฿32.29

-59.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 TND 0.84

$0.51 ฿16.67

-43.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.43 TND 9.96

$4.41 ฿144

-22.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 TND 17.23

$19.38 ฿633

-69.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 TND 3.35

$1.78 ฿58.1

-35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 TND 3.86

$2.71 ฿88.6

-50.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 TND 1.03

$1.37 ฿44.79

-74.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.97 TND 28.96

$11.39 ฿372

-12.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.31 TND 0.89

$3.02 ฿98.6

-89.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 TND 0.89

$0.99 ฿32.48

-68.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 TND 10.14

$14.10 ฿461

-75.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 TND 2.56

$1.36 ฿44.51

-35.29%

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

$40.0K TND 116.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

41.79%

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

$35.9K TND 104.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

9.02%

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

$58.2 TND 169

$122 ฿3,975

-52.15%

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

$9.99 TND 28.99

$13.57 ฿443

-26.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.91 TND 54.9

$18.31 ฿598

3.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.79 TND 69.1

$60.2 ฿1,967

-60.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.54 TND 36.42

$17.14 ฿560

-26.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.32 TND 15.44

$8.69 ฿284

-38.78%

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

$106 TND 308

$693 ฿22.6K

-84.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,137 TND 9,109

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-80.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.07 TND 119

$59.5 ฿1,944

-31.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 TND 176

$34.77 ฿1,136

74.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 TND 293

$115 ฿3,743

-11.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 TND 230

$83.3 ฿2,720

-4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$195 TND 566

$613 ฿20.0K

-68.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 TND 395

$437 ฿14.3K

-68.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 TND 1,083

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-82.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 TND 780

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-82.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$987 TND 2,866

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-73.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 TND 2,076

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-72.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$248 TND 719

$508 ฿16.6K

-51.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.96

5.33

105.63%

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

Last update for Msaken: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in Msaken and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 105% 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: $24.00 in Msaken vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $293 per month, with Msaken 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

Msaken vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Msaken is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 105% 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: $195 in Msaken versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Msaken runs roughly 14% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $106 in Msaken versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $670 in Msaken versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Msaken but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Msaken the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Msaken 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 Msaken gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.