Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lalmatie Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lalmatie

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $976 in Lalmatie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,581 in Lalmatie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,185 in Lalmatie.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than in Lalmatie, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Lalmatie 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.70 MUR 315

-32.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$44.07 MUR 2,070

4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.00 MUR 329

26.29%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.60 MUR 122

17.69%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.02 MUR 48.08

-28.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.49 MUR 23.08

-18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.85 MUR 86.7

31.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.12 MUR 99.4

78.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.70 MUR 79.6

32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.19 MUR 9.07

852.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.34 MUR 62.8

67.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.27 MUR 107

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.62 MUR 593

54.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.10 MUR 286

-40.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$12.70 MUR 597

2.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.04 MUR 95.6

58.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.92 MUR 90.3

-15.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.43 MUR 67.3

66.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.05 MUR 96.2

-0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.04 MUR 48.78

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.95 MUR 44.85

57.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.78 MUR 36.69

25.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.75 MUR 35.33

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.72 MUR 316

-33.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.61 MUR 358

140.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.73 MUR 81.5

7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.21 MUR 104

21.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.03 MUR 48.50

36.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$55.2 MUR 2,594

-78.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.29 MUR 202

-27.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.26 MUR 59.3

-17.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$19.53 MUR 917

-27.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.46 MUR 68.8

-10.27%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-21.37%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$29.3K MUR 1.4M

13.24%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$46.66 MUR 2,192

162.41%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$12.61 MUR 592

7.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.42 MUR 1,570

-44.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$37.85 MUR 1,778

59.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.02 MUR 283

50.66%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$99.4 MUR 4,669

610.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,987 MUR 187.3K

296.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$12.45 MUR 585

370.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$24.79 MUR 1,164

42.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$49.73 MUR 2,336

132.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$38.44 MUR 1,806

117.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$515 MUR 24.2K

21.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$349 MUR 16.4K

27.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$940 MUR 44.1K

117.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$717 MUR 33.7K

108.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$618 MUR 29.0K

-19.16%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lalmatie: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $515 in Lalmatie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lalmatie pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Lalmatie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $223 per month, with Lalmatie 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 Lalmatie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lalmatie is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Lalmatie. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $515 in Lalmatie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lalmatie runs roughly 372% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $99.4 in Lalmatie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $976 in Lalmatie versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lalmatie but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lalmatie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lalmatie 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 Lalmatie 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 Lalmatie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.