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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,188 in Grand Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,272 in Grand Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,356 in Grand Bay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Grand Bay, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Grand Bay 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.01 MUR 283

-26.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$63.0 MUR 2,971

-48.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.18 MUR 339

24.37%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.72 MUR 128

6.62%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.13 MUR 53.3

-22.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.65 MUR 30.72

-26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.61 MUR 123

-9.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.69 MUR 221

-20.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.35 MUR 63.6

38.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.73 MUR 34.64

101.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.11 MUR 52.5

39.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.45 MUR 115

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$20.77 MUR 979

-5.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.20 MUR 292

-44.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$21.47 MUR 1,012

-47.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.95 MUR 91.9

52.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.98 MUR 93.5

-15.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.44 MUR 67.8

53.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.87 MUR 135

-24.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.00 MUR 47.00

52.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.03 MUR 48.31

30.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.70 MUR 32.82

61.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.52 MUR 24.71

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.37 MUR 300

-33.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.70 MUR 410

119.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.70 MUR 80.0

4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.99 MUR 93.7

39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.05 MUR 49.31

112.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.28 MUR 202

-29.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.54 MUR 120

-59.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$21.41 MUR 1,009

-81.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.40 MUR 65.8

6.43%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$34.5K MUR 1.6M

-22.95%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$36.9K MUR 1.7M

-26.73%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$45.57 MUR 2,148

124.86%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$15.76 MUR 743

-28.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$29.56 MUR 1,393

-41.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$58.0 MUR 2,734

-10.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$6.22 MUR 293

23.63%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$126 MUR 5,932

345.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,665 MUR 361.2K

50.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$59.5 MUR 2,804

5.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$63.4 MUR 2,988

-53.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$108 MUR 5,097

-9.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$87.4 MUR 4,118

1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$592 MUR 27.9K

24.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$442 MUR 20.8K

9.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,066 MUR 97.4K

1.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,514 MUR 71.4K

-19.05%

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

$1,284 MUR 60.5K

-61.56%

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 Grand Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $592 in Grand Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 160% 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 $63.0 in Grand Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $279 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 Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 160% lower in Grand Bay. 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 $592 in Grand Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $126 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 $63.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,188 in Grand Bay versus $1,232 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 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.