Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Grand Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Grand Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,162 in Grand Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,277 in Grand Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,391 in Grand Bay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Grand Bay, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Grand Bay 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$8.11 MUR 383

-42.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$50.3 MUR 2,376

-9.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.44 MUR 304

30.90%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.54 MUR 120

15.35%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.96 MUR 45.13

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.57 MUR 26.90

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.38 MUR 160

-28.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.37 MUR 159

10.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.33 MUR 62.6

67.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.67 MUR 31.53

173.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.28 MUR 60.5

69.53%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.31 MUR 109

-4.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$33.34 MUR 1,575

-40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.05 MUR 286

-40.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$21.92 MUR 1,036

-38.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.72 MUR 81.2

90.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.96 MUR 92.7

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.44 MUR 67.9

67.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.76 MUR 130

-24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.03 MUR 48.72

48.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.93 MUR 44.17

59.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.84 MUR 39.57

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.47 MUR 21.97

8.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.51 MUR 308

-32.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.37 MUR 396

131.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.71 MUR 80.8

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.61 MUR 75.9

68.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.04 MUR 49.06

31.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.30 MUR 203

-29.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.64 MUR 125

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$19.73 MUR 932

-28.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.40 MUR 66.3

-2.86%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$35.7K MUR 1.7M

-20.92%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

12.62%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$49.27 MUR 2,328

147.01%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$15.34 MUR 725

-11.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$31.04 MUR 1,467

-41.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$60.7 MUR 2,867

-0.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.92 MUR 280

46.79%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$152 MUR 7,201

355.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$8,065 MUR 381.1K

94.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$55.9 MUR 2,642

6.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$78.3 MUR 3,702

-55.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$119 MUR 5,623

-3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$84.4 MUR 3,987

-1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$618 MUR 29.2K

-0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$355 MUR 16.8K

23.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,317 MUR 62.2K

59.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,537 MUR 72.6K

-1.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,296 MUR 61.2K

-60.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.5

-18.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Grand Bay: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $618 in Grand Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 155% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Grand Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $313 per month, with Phuket 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 Grand Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grand Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Grand Bay earns 155% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $618 in Grand Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $152 in Grand Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Grand Bay – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,162 in Grand Bay versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Grand Bay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Grand Bay 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 Grand Bay 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 Grand Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.