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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,880 per month in Msida vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,824 per month in Msida vs $2,286 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,767 per month in Msida vs $3,310 in Phuket, rent included.

Msida costs about 49% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Msida sits 40% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 €10.06

$4.56 ฿149

156.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 €60.6

$46.63 ฿1,519

50.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 €9.55

$8.47 ฿276

30.93%

Cappuccino

$2.36 €2.03

$3.03 ฿98.6

-22.11%

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

$1.72 €1.48

$0.69 ฿22.45

149.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.84

$0.37 ฿11.92

164.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 €3.55

$2.49 ฿81.0

65.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.66 ฿119

8.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.18 ฿71.0

-36.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.90 ฿62.0

-32.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.20 ฿71.6

58.64%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.40

$2.22 ฿72.4

77.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 €8.07

$19.99 ฿651

-53.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 €7.80

$3.66 ฿119

147.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 €12.90

$13.25 ฿432

12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 €3.79

$3.23 ฿105

36.22%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 €2.61

$1.70 ฿55.3

77.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 €2.79

$2.39 ฿78.0

35.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.28

$2.08 ฿67.7

83.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 €2.14

$1.59 ฿51.8

55.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.48 ฿48.31

-8.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.03 ฿33.54

124.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.52 ฿16.83

128.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.70

$4.25 ฿138

55.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.49 €7.31

$18.79 ฿612

-54.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.76 ฿57.2

7.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$2.76 ฿89.8

-18.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.36 ฿44.32

51.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.43 €26.22

$11.36 ฿370

167.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.95 €5.13

$3.14 ฿102

89.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.09 €3.53

$1.04 ฿33.74

293.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.34 €41.65

$13.77 ฿448

251.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.34 ฿43.79

17.91%

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

$39.4K €33.9K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

42.21%

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

$38.4K €33.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

13.53%

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

$86.6 €74.6

$124 ฿4,025

-29.91%

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

$27.87 €24.01

$13.52 ฿440

106.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.08 €27.64

$18.69 ฿609

71.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.55 €34.94

$61.8 ฿2,013

-34.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.95 €19.78

$17.25 ฿562

33.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.53 €9.07

$9.14 ฿298

15.21%

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

$778 €670

$703 ฿22.9K

10.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,344

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-31.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.6 €80.6

$59.5 ฿1,937

57.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.08 €33.68

$35.07 ฿1,142

11.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.4

$115 ฿3,754

-10.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €87.8

$84.1 ฿2,737

21.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €934

$619 ฿20.1K

75.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 €819

$433 ฿14.1K

119.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 €1,720

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-3.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,352

$1,511 ฿49.2K

3.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,857 €2,462

$507 ฿16.5K

463.53%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,084 in Msida versus $619 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 464% 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: $311 vs $293 – 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 49%, 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 $1,892 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 6% 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 $1,261, than in Msida at $1,880. 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.