Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hassi Messaoud

For one person, living is cheaper in Hassi Messaoud: $525 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Hassi Messaoud, Algeria
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Hassi Messaoud
🇩🇿 Algeria
$525
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hassi Messaoud

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Hassi Messaoud actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $525 in Hassi Messaoud, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Hassi Messaoud $525

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $857 in Hassi Messaoud, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Hassi Messaoud $857

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,188 in Hassi Messaoud, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Hassi Messaoud $1,188

Phuket costs about 144% more than Hassi Messaoud, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Hassi Messaoud are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Hassi Messaoud 61% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Hassi Messaoud
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$2.74 DZD 371
63.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$19.12 DZD 2,584
69.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$3.79 DZD 512
132.45%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$0.74 DZD 99.6
282.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$0.68 DZD 92.2
27.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$0.23 DZD 30.55
113.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$1.43 DZD 193
79.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.35 DZD 318
56.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Hassi Messaoud
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$0.80 DZD 108
107.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$0.13 DZD 18.22
1023.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$1.16 DZD 157
29.31%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$1.05 DZD 142
99.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$7.46 DZD 1,008
155.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.46 DZD 603
-26.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$14.58 DZD 1,971
-25.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$1.97 DZD 266
48.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$2.87 DZD 388
-41.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$0.97 DZD 131
131.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$0.94 DZD 127
121.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$0.58 DZD 78.7
160.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$0.47 DZD 63.0
193.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$0.81 DZD 109
32.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$0.23 DZD 31.15
126.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.40 DZD 324
75.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$6.58 DZD 889
185.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.14 DZD 154
59.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$1.72 DZD 233
65.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Hassi Messaoud
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$0.20 DZD 26.73
625.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$7.42 DZD 1,003
663.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.63 DZD 85.0
379.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$0.40 DZD 53.7
155.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$5.63 DZD 761
-34.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$0.36 DZD 48.38
308.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$28.0K DZD 3.8M
-4.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$39.0K DZD 5.3M
-31.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Hassi Messaoud
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$32.40 DZD 4,379
197.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$9.75 DZD 1,318
15.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$12.45 DZD 1,683
35.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Hassi Messaoud
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
$19.47 DZD 2,632
245.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$5.03 DZD 680
49.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Hassi Messaoud
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$368 DZD 49.8K
29.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$4,765 DZD 644.1K
136.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Hassi Messaoud
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$28.98 DZD 3,918
115.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$36.53 DZD 4,937
-22.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$62.7 DZD 8,471
50.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$92.0 DZD 12.4K
-6.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Hassi Messaoud
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$124 DZD 16.7K
479.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$99.6 DZD 13.5K
392.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$238 DZD 32.1K
710.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$205 DZD 27.7K
599.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$924 DZD 124.8K
352.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
$934 DZD 126.2K
226.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Hassi Messaoud
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.3
5.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hassi Messaoud: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Hassi Messaoud
$100 79.7% $391
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Hassi Messaoud
$173 34.9% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Hassi Messaoud
$55 56.1% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Hassi Messaoud
$99 18.7% $23
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Hassi Messaoud
$58 52.6% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Hassi Messaoud
$30 64.1% $53
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Hassi Messaoud
$11 84.7% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $124 in Hassi Messaoud. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $19 in Hassi Messaoud. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $173 – making Hassi Messaoud the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇩🇿 Hassi Messaoud
🕒 Local time
17:24 5:24 PM
11:24 11:24 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
45,147
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Hassi Messaoud 9,770 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Hassi Messaoud

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hassi Messaoud: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Hassi Messaoud compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $525 in Hassi Messaoud – Hassi Messaoud comes out roughly 59% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Hassi Messaoud?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $787 in Hassi Messaoud. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Hassi Messaoud?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hassi Messaoud, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $124 there versus $716 in Phuket.
How do commuting costs compare in Phuket and in Hassi Messaoud?
Public transport costs about 87% less in Hassi Messaoud. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Hassi Messaoud?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $368 in Hassi Messaoud. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Hassi Messaoud, where all-in costs run around $525, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Hassi Messaoud it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Hassi Messaoud?
Families tend to lean toward Hassi Messaoud – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Phuket or Hassi Messaoud safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Hassi Messaoud?
For expats, Hassi Messaoud is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 59% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?