Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Curepipe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Curepipe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $950 in Curepipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,494 in Curepipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,038 in Curepipe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Curepipe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Curepipe 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.27 MUR 153

37.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$43.38 MUR 2,032

5.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.58 MUR 214

91.27%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.63 MUR 123

12.93%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.98 MUR 45.68

-29.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.56 MUR 26.09

-30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.77 MUR 82.9

42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.70 MUR 127

38.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.35 MUR 63.0

59.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.71 MUR 33.27

156.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.31 MUR 61.4

66.41%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.23 MUR 104

0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$7.69 MUR 360

160.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.11 MUR 286

-40.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.40 MUR 393

61.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.99 MUR 93.3

62.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.80 MUR 84.4

-8.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.43 MUR 67.2

62.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.66 MUR 125

-22.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.98 MUR 45.71

58.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.99 MUR 46.18

47.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.86 MUR 40.25

13.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.56 MUR 26.24

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.98 MUR 280

-27.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$3.90 MUR 182

376.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.69 MUR 79.0

10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.12 MUR 99.1

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.85 MUR 39.77

67.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$36.69 MUR 1,718

-68.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.21 MUR 150

-1.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.74 MUR 128

-62.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$4.35 MUR 204

219.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.44 MUR 67.5

-6.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$28.1K MUR 1.3M

-1.06%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.8K MUR 1.4M

15.71%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$49.28 MUR 2,308

149.70%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$18.52 MUR 867

-25.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$31.02 MUR 1,453

-40.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$17.85 MUR 836

240.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$2.19 MUR 103

683.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.10 MUR 286

45.41%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$152 MUR 7,099

353.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,148 MUR 147.5K

401.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$41.37 MUR 1,938

43.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$34.23 MUR 1,604

1.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$73.7 MUR 3,450

56.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$74.1 MUR 3,469

13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$514 MUR 24.1K

20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$360 MUR 16.8K

24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,012 MUR 47.4K

101.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$687 MUR 32.2K

117.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$734 MUR 34.4K

370.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$645 MUR 30.2K

292.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$871 MUR 40.8K

-43.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.5

-3.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Curepipe: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $514 in Curepipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curepipe pays 77% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Curepipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $189 per month, with Curepipe 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 Curepipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curepipe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Curepipe. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $514 in Curepipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curepipe runs roughly 217% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $152 in Curepipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $950 in Curepipe versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Curepipe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Curepipe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Curepipe is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Curepipe 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 Curepipe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.