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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,004 in Curepipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,569 in Curepipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,134 in Curepipe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than in Curepipe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Curepipe 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.23 MUR 153

36.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$38.17 MUR 1,813

-15.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$5.36 MUR 255

66.60%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.66 MUR 127

9.02%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.05 MUR 50.1

-16.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.66 MUR 31.57

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.65 MUR 78.3

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.63 MUR 125

41.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.56 MUR 74.1

19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.77 MUR 36.69

90.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.12 MUR 53.0

38.39%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.44 MUR 116

-13.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$5.46 MUR 259

258.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.59 MUR 265

-38.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$9.25 MUR 439

23.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.00 MUR 94.8

49.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$2.03 MUR 96.4

-17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.45 MUR 68.7

52.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.99 MUR 142

-27.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.01 MUR 48.15

50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.96 MUR 45.55

39.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.75 MUR 35.46

50.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.67 MUR 31.89

-17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.36 MUR 302

-33.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$3.72 MUR 177

413.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.69 MUR 80.2

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.30 MUR 109

20.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.73 MUR 34.60

205.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$41.63 MUR 1,977

-45.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.36 MUR 207

-30.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$3.19 MUR 152

-68.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$4.14 MUR 197

-6.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.39 MUR 66.1

7.19%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$30.1K MUR 1.4M

-11.78%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$31.1K MUR 1.5M

-13.06%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$41.88 MUR 1,989

144.68%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$20.84 MUR 990

-45.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$28.82 MUR 1,369

-39.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$14.59 MUR 693

256.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$5.18 MUR 246

48.46%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$128 MUR 6,085

337.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$7,776 MUR 369.4K

47.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$44.24 MUR 2,101

42.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$31.85 MUR 1,513

-7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$95.2 MUR 4,523

2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$52.6 MUR 2,500

68.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$577 MUR 27.4K

27.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$422 MUR 20.0K

14.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,210 MUR 57.5K

74.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$792 MUR 37.6K

54.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$753 MUR 35.7K

380.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

$646 MUR 30.7K

303.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$889 MUR 42.2K

-44.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-7.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Curepipe: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $577 in Curepipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curepipe pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Curepipe. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $189, with Curepipe cheaper for home cooking.

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 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 80% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $577 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 83% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $128 in Curepipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,004 in Curepipe versus $1,232 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.