Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,881 per month in Msida vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,879 per month in Msida vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,877 per month in Msida vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Msida costs about 53% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Msida sits 40% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 €9.96

$4.63 ฿151

152.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €59.5

$46.84 ฿1,523

48.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.19 €9.56

$8.84 ฿287

26.58%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €1.92

$3.00 ฿97.4

-25.00%

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

$1.69 €1.44

$0.74 ฿24.11

128.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.86

$0.37 ฿11.88

170.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 €3.41

$2.44 ฿79.3

63.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 €3.51

$3.61 ฿117

13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.26 ฿73.5

-38.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.84 ฿59.8

-32.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 €2.88

$2.24 ฿73.0

50.45%

Eggs

$3.91 €3.34

$2.32 ฿75.3

68.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 €8.04

$19.67 ฿639

-52.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 €7.78

$3.65 ฿119

149.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 €13.07

$13.10 ฿426

16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 €3.81

$3.39 ฿110

31.86%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 €2.71

$1.64 ฿53.4

93.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 €2.84

$2.41 ฿78.5

37.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.22

$2.03 ฿66.0

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 €2.13

$1.56 ฿50.6

59.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.50 ฿48.66

-10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 €2.05

$1.02 ฿33.30

135.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.49 ฿15.91

155.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.34 €5.41

$4.45 ฿145

42.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 €7.46

$18.88 ฿614

-53.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.78 ฿57.7

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.91

$2.75 ฿89.5

-18.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 €1.77

$1.40 ฿45.54

47.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.55 €26.09

$11.48 ฿373

166.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 €5.05

$3.12 ฿101

89.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.07 €3.48

$1.00 ฿32.48

307.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.77 €42.50

$14.09 ฿458

253.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.35 ฿43.93

11.85%

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

$38.6K €32.9K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

41.82%

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

$37.6K €32.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

14.35%

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

$85.0 €72.6

$125 ฿4,063

-31.97%

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

$28.33 €24.20

$13.57 ฿441

108.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €26.71

$18.52 ฿602

68.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 €34.39

$61.5 ฿1,999

-34.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.48 €20.06

$16.84 ฿547

39.43%

Cinema Ticket

$10.55 €9.01

$9.19 ฿299

14.80%

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

$765 €653

$698 ฿22.7K

9.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K €9,267

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-30.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €79.8

$57.8 ฿1,878

61.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 €32.81

$35.24 ฿1,146

9.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.5

$113 ฿3,677

-7.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €86.3

$86.4 ฿2,808

17.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €926

$616 ฿20.0K

75.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 €805

$446 ฿14.5K

111.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,725

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-1.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,332

$1,492 ฿48.5K

4.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,907 €2,483

$524 ฿17.0K

455.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

5.33

-4.69%

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

Last update for Msida: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,084 in Msida versus $616 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 455% higher in Msida, 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 $70.0 in Msida versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $292 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Msida vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Msida is pricier by about 53%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,821 per month in Msida and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 8% more in Msida, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Msida and $47.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Msida at $1,881. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Msida it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – 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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Msida makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.