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: $1,190 in Phuket versus $804 in Cimislia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,151 in Cimislia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $1,498 in Cimislia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than in Cimislia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Cimislia 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$6.59 MDL 117

-33.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,093

$22.41 MDL 398

44.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$10.70 MDL 190

-21.31%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.5

$1.73 MDL 30.64

62.43%

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

$0.87 ฿29.46

$1.11 MDL 19.68

-21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.48

$0.66 MDL 11.78

-30.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿87.0

$1.15 MDL 20.35

125.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿123

$2.32 MDL 41.15

56.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.5

$1.05 MDL 18.61

62.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.69

$0.38 MDL 6.82

281.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$1.60 MDL 28.33

-2.50%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.7

$2.09 MDL 37.11

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿657

$6.85 MDL 122

185.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$3.91 MDL 69.4

-13.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿375

$6.30 MDL 112

76.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.4

$0.59 MDL 10.40

379.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.6

$2.31 MDL 41.05

-29.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.9

$1.45 MDL 25.78

53.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.3

$1.93 MDL 34.21

11.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.56 MDL 9.94

166.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.65

$0.49 MDL 8.78

171.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.92

$0.43 MDL 7.61

148.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.10

$0.58 MDL 10.32

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿148

$3.48 MDL 61.9

25.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿632

$4.65 MDL 82.5

303.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.6

$1.10 MDL 19.53

58.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.5

$2.03 MDL 36.07

36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿73.0

$0.29 MDL 5.20

648.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿750

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.88 MDL 51.1

4.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.63

$0.24 MDL 4.24

341.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$5.62 MDL 99.9

-33.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.16

$1.43 MDL 25.35

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

$26.3K ฿887.1K

$34.4K MDL 610.9K

-23.41%

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

$26.2K ฿882.3K

$24.5K MDL 434.8K

7.02%

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

$96.7 ฿3,254

$223 MDL 3,968

-56.74%

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

$11.41 ฿384

$7.76 MDL 138

47.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿576

$11.16 MDL 198

53.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,778

$17.25 MDL 306

206.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿258

$7.78 MDL 138

-1.67%

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

$555 ฿18.7K

$113 MDL 2,009

390.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$5,253 MDL 93.3K

114.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,135

$45.68 MDL 811

38.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿963

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,256

$56.0 MDL 994

72.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,983

$51.7 MDL 917

71.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$224 MDL 3,982

227.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$170 MDL 3,026

168.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.8K

$338 MDL 5,999

522.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿40.0K

$289 MDL 5,124

311.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.6K

$727 MDL 12.9K

380.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.9K

$688 MDL 12.2K

262.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.9K

$430 MDL 7,629

16.61%

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: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cimislia: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $224 in Cimislia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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 $22.00 in Cimislia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $151 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 48% 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 17% 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: $735 in Phuket versus $224 in Cimislia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,190 per month in Phuket versus $804 in Cimislia – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $804 in Cimislia versus $1,190 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 $804 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 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.