Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Msida and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,845 in Msida, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Msida, Malta
Phuket, Thailand
Msida
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,845
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,845 per month in Msida vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Msida $1,845
  • Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $2,817 per month in Msida vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Msida $2,817
  • Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $3,790 per month in Msida vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Msida $3,790
  • Phuket $3,115

Msida costs about 43% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Msida sits 36% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Msida
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.26 €10.03
$4.39 ฿147
156.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.1 €44.58
$32.31 ฿1,078
54.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.08 €9.87
$8.70 ฿290
27.36%
Cappuccino
$2.17 €1.93
$2.72 ฿90.9
-20.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.93 ฿31.06
143.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.99
$0.50 ฿16.67
122.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.66 €4.15
$2.53 ฿84.5
84.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 €3.07
$3.63 ฿121
-4.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Msida
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.74 ฿58.1
-35.06%
White Bread (500g)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.45 ฿48.42
-11.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.46 €3.97
$1.50 ฿50.1
197.33%
Eggs
$2.72 €2.42
$2.17 ฿72.5
25.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.21 €7.31
$19.09 ฿637
-56.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.36 €9.22
$3.40 ฿113
204.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.22 €16.23
$10.90 ฿364
67.16%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 €3.68
$2.94 ฿98.2
40.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$1.69 ฿56.5
59.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.63 €3.24
$2.19 ฿73.2
65.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.44 €3.07
$2.12 ฿70.9
62.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.46 ฿48.68
56.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$1.37 ฿45.66
37.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.08 ฿35.91
111.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.20
$0.55 ฿18.21
143.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.64 €5.91
$4.43 ฿148
49.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.35 €7.44
$18.25 ฿609
-54.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.77 ฿59.2
-3.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 €2.08
$2.88 ฿96.2
-18.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Msida
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.17 €1.94
$1.45 ฿48.32
49.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$54.9 ฿1,832
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 €4.85
$1.51 ฿50.5
260.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.23 €1.98
$0.78 ฿25.90
185.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.67 €23.76
$3.84 ฿128
594.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.49 ฿49.65
-0.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.1K €33.1K
$26.9K ฿897.3K
38.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.5K €35.2K
$26.3K ฿879.4K
49.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Msida
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 €75.0
$97.8 ฿3,265
-13.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.32 €22.55
$11.29 ฿377
124.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.44 €25.33
$17.19 ฿574
65.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Msida
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.1 €50.0
$68.3 ฿2,281
-17.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.92 ฿365
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.97 €8.88
$7.43 ฿248
34.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Msida
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$366 €326
$530 ฿17.7K
-30.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,005 €8,021
$18.8K ฿626.9K
-52.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Msida
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.6 €77.1
$61.7 ฿2,059
40.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.13 €35.75
$28.25 ฿943
42.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.6 €87.9
$96.0 ฿3,204
2.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.4 €68.9
$86.8 ฿2,898
-10.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Msida
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,068 €952
$721 ฿24.1K
48.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$958 €853
$509 ฿17.0K
88.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,033 €1,811
$1,950 ฿65.1K
4.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,743 €1,553
$1,397 ฿46.6K
24.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,192 ฿139.9K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,298 ฿110.1K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Msida
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,747 €2,447
$492 ฿16.4K
458.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2.9
5.57
-47.94%

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

Last update for Msida: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Msida
$958
Phuket
$509 46.9% $449
Groceries & Markets
Msida
$318
Phuket
$267 16.2% $51
Eating Out
Msida
$193
Phuket
$120 38% $73
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Msida
$138
Phuket
$126 8.5% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Msida
$136
Phuket
$123 9.9% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Msida
$76
Phuket
$83 9.3% $7.1
Getting Around
Msida
$25 *
Phuket
$66 162% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,068 in Msida versus $721 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 Msida are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Msida versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇹 Msida
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
22:51 10:51 PM
04:51 4:51 AM
6 h ahead of Msida
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Msida Phuket 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Msida
  • 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
Msida vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Msida?
Yes – Msida is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,767 per month in Msida and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,068 in Msida.
What are total monthly expenses in Msida and in Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,845 in Msida and $1,294 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 30% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $366 per month in Msida and $530 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Msida or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Msida at $1,845. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Msida it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Msida or in Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,294 in Phuket to $1,845 in Msida. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Msida or Phuket?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Msida makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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