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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $854 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,247 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,639 in Cimislia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cimislia 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.90 MDL 119

-32.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$23.54 MDL 406

98.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.57 MDL 131

16.78%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.80 MDL 31.08

66.67%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.91 MDL 15.67

-18.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.70 MDL 12.02

-47.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.16 MDL 19.93

110.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.35 MDL 40.54

53.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.04 MDL 17.92

117.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.42 MDL 7.31

338.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.45 MDL 24.94

54.48%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.08 MDL 35.94

11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.90 MDL 153

121.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.98 MDL 68.7

-8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.97 MDL 155

46.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.56 MDL 9.60

505.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.77 MDL 30.48

-7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.49 MDL 25.78

61.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.06 MDL 35.55

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.61 MDL 10.44

155.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.58 MDL 10.08

158.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.32 MDL 22.72

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.85 MDL 14.60

-42.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.24 MDL 56.0

37.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.64 MDL 80.0

306.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.19 MDL 20.48

49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.93 MDL 33.25

42.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.30 MDL 5.18

366.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.99 MDL 34.39

56.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.27 MDL 4.70

270.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.39 MDL 92.9

161.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.38 MDL 23.76

-2.17%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$32.6K MDL 562.8K

-16.68%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.8K MDL 531.7K

6.80%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$173 MDL 2,984

-27.75%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.62 MDL 131

78.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$10.91 MDL 188

69.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$17.29 MDL 298

255.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.59 MDL 131

21.08%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$394 MDL 6,793

77.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,539 MDL 130.0K

106.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$65.7 MDL 1,133

-12.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$52.8 MDL 910

-33.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$114 MDL 1,961

-0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$123 MDL 2,129

-30.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$234 MDL 4,029

163.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$173 MDL 2,990

157.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$349 MDL 6,014

487.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$286 MDL 4,940

421.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$767 MDL 13.2K

392.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$710 MDL 12.2K

273.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$440 MDL 7,591

19.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.24

-42.32%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $234 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 19% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $169 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 44% 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.

Phuket pays 19% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $234 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $854 in Cimislia – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $854 in Cimislia versus $1,232 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 $854 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 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.