Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ambatolampy

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambatolampy: $466 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Ambatolampy
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Ambatolampy Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ambatolampy

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ambatolampy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Ambatolampy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $466 in Ambatolampy.

Phuket $1,278
Ambatolampy $466

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $689 in Ambatolampy.

Phuket $2,216
Ambatolampy $689

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $912 in Ambatolampy.

Phuket $3,154
Ambatolampy $912

Living in Phuket is roughly 174% more expensive than in Ambatolampy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ambatolampy 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.60 MGA 11.9K

71.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$9.84 MGA 45.0K

229.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.64 MGA 25.8K

56.21%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.58 MGA 7,247

79.11%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.75 MGA 3,424

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.45 MGA 2,053

8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$0.94 MGA 4,317

172.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.14 MGA 9,775

71.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.85 MGA 3,889

95.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.98 MGA 4,478

48.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.70 MGA 3,222

114.29%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.95 MGA 8,925

7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.48 MGA 38.8K

124.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.39 MGA 20.1K

-24.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.86 MGA 22.2K

124.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.03 MGA 4,716

184.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.56 MGA 2,582

201.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.03 MGA 4,694

118.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.82 MGA 3,735

153.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.54 MGA 2,484

179.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.91 MGA 4,144

51.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.31 MGA 1,437

245.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.71 MGA 3,255

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.57 MGA 7,168

167.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$4.83 MGA 22.1K

289.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.01 MGA 4,601

80.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.82 MGA 8,327

56.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.34 MGA 15.3K

-9.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.94 MGA 8,871

-47.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$4.37 MGA 20.0K

-15.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.83 MGA 3,806

77.11%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$11.7K MGA 53.7M

128.15%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$25.3K MGA 116.0M

5.34%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$71.4 MGA 327.0K

34.87%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$16.52 MGA 75.6K

-31.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$54.7 MGA 250.3K

-69.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.37 MGA 24.6K

39.66%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$23.91 MGA 109.4K

1890.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$14.5K MGA 66.5M

-22.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$28.41 MGA 130.0K

119.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$26.96 MGA 123.4K

5.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$75.8 MGA 346.9K

24.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$68.6 MGA 313.8K

25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

15.75

-64.63%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ambatolampy: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ambatolampy

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ambatolampy

$139 29.9% 47.7% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ambatolampy

$143 30.6% 14.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ambatolampy

$90 19.3% 26.3% $32

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ambatolampy

$70 15.1% 42.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ambatolampy

$11 * 2.3% 87% $72

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ambatolampy

$13 * 2.8% 81.5% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $10 in Ambatolampy for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $139 per month, with Ambatolampy cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇬 Ambatolampy

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

10:03 10:03 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

32,291

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,110 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ambatolampy 6,350 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ambatolampy

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

Phuket vs Ambatolampy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambatolampy wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ambatolampy the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $699 in Ambatolampy to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $24 in Ambatolampy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ambatolampy – a meal for two runs $10 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $466 in Ambatolampy versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Ambatolampy but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ambatolampy the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.