Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bamako

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamako: $899 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Bamako
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Bamako Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Bamako

🇲🇱 Mali

$899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bamako

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 Bamako actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $899 in Bamako.

Phuket $1,208
Bamako $899

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,467 in Bamako.

Phuket $2,027
Bamako $1,467

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,034 in Bamako.

Phuket $2,845
Bamako $2,034

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than in Bamako, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Bamako 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$8.65 F CFA 5,042

-49.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$35.32 F CFA 20.6K

-8.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.02 F CFA 4,678

9.23%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.66 F CFA 967

70.48%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.97 F CFA 567

-7.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.69 F CFA 405

-31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.36 F CFA 1,376

8.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$21.09 F CFA 12.3K

-81.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.92 F CFA 1,120

-9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$3.80 F CFA 2,218

-61.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$6.07 F CFA 3,537

-64.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$17.47 F CFA 10.2K

12.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$15.92 F CFA 9,284

-79.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$12.59 F CFA 7,342

-11.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$4.11 F CFA 2,397

-30.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.02 F CFA 595

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.90 F CFA 1,689

-24.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.07 F CFA 1,204

-0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.25 F CFA 728

16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.14 F CFA 664

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.09 F CFA 51.0

1088.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.80 F CFA 1,633

-81.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.57 F CFA 916

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.67 F CFA 973

70.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.25 F CFA 729

-15.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.12 F CFA 655

29.46%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$152 F CFA 88.5K

-36.51%

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

$11.04 ฿369

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$66.1 F CFA 38.6K

-74.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$69.6 F CFA 40.6K

-25.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$176 F CFA 102.4K

319.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$80.4 F CFA 46.9K

475.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$503 F CFA 293.1K

316.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$302 F CFA 176.2K

297.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,258 F CFA 733.7K

100.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$266 F CFA 155.2K

88.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bamako: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Bamako

$80 8.9% 82.6% $382

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Bamako

$351 * 39.1% 30.7% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Bamako

$218 * 24.2% 75% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Bamako

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Bamako

$174 19.3% 43.3% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Bamako

$70 * 7.7% 2.6% $1.8

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Bamako

$6.3 * 0.7% 84.2% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $176 in Bamako. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 88% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Bamako for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $351 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇱 Bamako

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

15:05 3:05 PM

7 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,809,106 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Bamako 11,570 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bamako

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 Bamako: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bamako wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bamako the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $176 in Bamako. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $899 in Bamako – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $899 in Bamako versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bamako but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bamako the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bamako delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $899 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bamako hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bamako 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 Bamako gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.