Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ebene Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ebene

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $731 in Ebene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,248 in Ebene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,765 in Ebene.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than Ebene, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ebene 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿150

$6.69 MUR 313

-30.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,515

$32.94 MUR 1,542

42.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿286

$6.52 MUR 305

35.58%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿96.9

$2.69 MUR 126

11.52%

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

$0.74 ฿23.98

$0.91 MUR 42.76

-18.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.82

$0.57 MUR 26.76

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿78.9

$1.85 MUR 86.4

31.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.66 MUR 125

35.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.1

$1.55 MUR 72.7

45.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.5

$0.69 MUR 32.42

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿72.6

$1.27 MUR 59.4

76.38%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿74.9

$2.24 MUR 105

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿636

$9.01 MUR 422

118.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿118

$6.02 MUR 282

-39.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿424

$11.03 MUR 516

18.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$1.78 MUR 83.3

90.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.1

$1.28 MUR 60.1

28.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.1

$1.50 MUR 70.1

60.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿65.6

$2.70 MUR 126

-24.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.3

$0.95 MUR 44.32

64.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.40

$0.93 MUR 43.48

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.13

$0.85 MUR 39.62

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.82

$0.56 MUR 26.43

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿144

$5.83 MUR 273

-23.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿610

$8.65 MUR 405

118.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.4

$1.68 MUR 78.6

5.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.1

$2.18 MUR 102

26.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.31

$0.92 MUR 42.91

52.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿371

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$4.47 MUR 209

-30.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.31

$2.70 MUR 127

-62.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿456

$19.45 MUR 910

-27.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.70

$1.47 MUR 68.8

-8.16%

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

$27.2K ฿879.1K

$36.1K MUR 1.7M

-24.71%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.3K MUR 1.4M

12.24%

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

$125 ฿4,042

$49.93 MUR 2,337

150.31%

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

$13.57 ฿439

$18.64 MUR 872

-27.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿599

$32.93 MUR 1,541

-43.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,988

$29.47 MUR 1,379

108.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿545

$6.65 MUR 311

153.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿297

$5.99 MUR 281

53.42%

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

$698 ฿22.6K

$154 MUR 7,214

352.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿504.3K

$3,965 MUR 185.6K

293.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,868

$45.47 MUR 2,128

27.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,140

$44.28 MUR 2,073

-20.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,658

$48.84 MUR 2,286

131.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,793

$49.97 MUR 2,339

72.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿19.9K

$259 MUR 12.1K

137.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.4K

$153 MUR 7,178

190.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.2K

$602 MUR 28.2K

240.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.3K

$438 MUR 20.5K

240.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿85.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿16.9K

$1,175 MUR 55.0K

-55.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.67

-20.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ebene: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $259 in Ebene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 124% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $33 in Ebene for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $208 per month, with Ebene 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 Ebene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ebene is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ebene earns 124% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $259 in Ebene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $154 in Ebene. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ebene – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Ebene versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ebene but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ebene the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ebene 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 Ebene 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 Ebene gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.