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 $714 in Ebene.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Ebene.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,718 in Ebene.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than in Ebene, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Ebene 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.74 MUR 271

-23.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$32.23 MUR 1,519

0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.29 MUR 296

41.97%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.70 MUR 127

7.41%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.90 MUR 42.45

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.54 MUR 25.50

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.77 MUR 83.3

32.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.56 MUR 121

45.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.47 MUR 69.3

27.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.75 MUR 35.27

96.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.10 MUR 51.8

40.91%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.20 MUR 104

-4.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.62 MUR 406

127.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.50 MUR 307

-47.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.52 MUR 496

8.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.81 MUR 85.2

64.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.19 MUR 56.2

41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.45 MUR 68.4

52.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.57 MUR 121

-15.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.97 MUR 45.60

56.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.02 MUR 48.25

31.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.69 MUR 32.69

63.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.52 MUR 24.39

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.59 MUR 263

-23.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.41 MUR 396

126.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.65 MUR 77.8

7.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.66 MUR 125

4.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.87 MUR 41.22

156.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.14 MUR 195

-26.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$3.10 MUR 146

-67.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$21.19 MUR 999

-81.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.32 MUR 62.2

12.88%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

-27.42%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$31.6K MUR 1.5M

-14.51%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$45.28 MUR 2,134

126.30%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$10.68 MUR 503

6.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$29.17 MUR 1,375

-40.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$28.29 MUR 1,333

84.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$6.23 MUR 294

77.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$5.82 MUR 275

32.13%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$126 MUR 5,956

343.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,564 MUR 356.5K

52.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$44.59 MUR 2,102

41.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$42.23 MUR 1,990

-30.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$47.63 MUR 2,245

105.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$47.07 MUR 2,218

88.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$255 MUR 12.0K

189.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$149 MUR 7,028

223.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$577 MUR 27.2K

264.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$429 MUR 20.2K

185.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,181 MUR 55.7K

-58.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ebene: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $255 in Ebene. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ebene pays 139% 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 $32.00 in Ebene. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $205, with Ebene 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 Ebene: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ebene is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 139% lower in Ebene. 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 $255 in Ebene. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $126 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 $32.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $714 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 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.