Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cimislia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cimislia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $829 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,181 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,533 in Cimislia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cimislia 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$7.00 MDL 119

-36.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$22.93 MDL 389

52.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$10.74 MDL 182

-16.57%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.72 MDL 29.13

74.42%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.11 MDL 18.77

-30.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.71 MDL 12.08

-33.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$1.18 MDL 19.97

103.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.35 MDL 39.87

59.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.07 MDL 18.22

70.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.43 MDL 7.25

230.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.66 MDL 28.21

-6.63%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.14 MDL 36.26

-0.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$6.97 MDL 118

183.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$4.13 MDL 70.1

-15.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$6.55 MDL 111

69.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$0.56 MDL 9.48

419.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$2.32 MDL 39.34

-28.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.44 MDL 24.41

57.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$2.03 MDL 34.43

3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.59 MDL 10.02

149.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.51 MDL 8.61

176.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.46 MDL 7.80

136.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.55 MDL 9.38

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$3.36 MDL 57.1

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$4.54 MDL 77.1

312.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.14 MDL 19.29

61.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$2.00 MDL 33.99

47.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.28 MDL 4.69

707.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$2.87 MDL 48.76

5.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.25 MDL 4.22

336.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$5.85 MDL 99.3

-34.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.42 MDL 24.07

4.93%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$35.5K MDL 603.5K

-22.80%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$24.9K MDL 423.1K

10.41%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$237 MDL 4,018

-56.98%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$8.29 MDL 141

36.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$11.77 MDL 200

50.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$17.16 MDL 291

215.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$7.63 MDL 130

2.88%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$115 MDL 1,960

399.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$5,438 MDL 92.3K

113.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$46.85 MDL 795

39.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$57.7 MDL 979

71.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$51.8 MDL 879

74.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$228 MDL 3,864

232.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$174 MDL 2,963

179.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$349 MDL 5,931

496.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$287 MDL 4,880

320.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$744 MDL 12.6K

382.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$705 MDL 12.0K

270.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$435 MDL 7,384

15.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $228 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 15% 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $154 per month, with Cimislia cheaper across the board.

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 Cimislia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cimislia wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cimislia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 15% 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: $756 in Phuket versus $228 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $829 in Cimislia – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $829 in Cimislia versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cimislia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cimislia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cimislia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $829 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cimislia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cimislia 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 Cimislia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.