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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $971 in Lalmatie.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,594 in Lalmatie.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,217 in Lalmatie.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than Lalmatie, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Lalmatie 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.75 MUR 319

-30.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$44.02 MUR 2,080

3.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.00 MUR 331

20.43%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.66 MUR 126

10.15%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.96 MUR 45.18

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.49 MUR 23.25

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.87 MUR 88.2

28.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.16 MUR 102

72.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.70 MUR 80.2

31.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.17 MUR 7.93

976.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.29 MUR 60.8

68.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.35 MUR 111

-5.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.57 MUR 594

57.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.35 MUR 300

-42.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.78 MUR 604

5.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.99 MUR 94.0

64.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.96 MUR 92.7

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.48 MUR 70.1

62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.08 MUR 98.2

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.00 MUR 47.09

53.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.93 MUR 44.07

59.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.74 MUR 34.90

33.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.80 MUR 37.86

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.77 MUR 320

-34.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.44 MUR 351

160.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.78 MUR 84.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.26 MUR 107

19.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.04 MUR 48.99

31.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$54.8 MUR 2,591

-79.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.42 MUR 209

-31.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.22 MUR 57.6

-18.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$20.11 MUR 950

-29.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.40 MUR 66.1

-2.86%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-20.56%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.3K MUR 1.3M

16.15%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$46.78 MUR 2,210

160.15%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$12.77 MUR 603

6.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$33.13 MUR 1,565

-44.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$37.92 MUR 1,792

58.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.93 MUR 280

46.54%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$100 MUR 4,734

592.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,982 MUR 188.1K

293.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$12.67 MUR 598

369.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$25.17 MUR 1,189

38.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$50.8 MUR 2,398

125.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$38.15 MUR 1,803

118.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$517 MUR 24.4K

18.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$356 MUR 16.8K

22.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$964 MUR 45.6K

117.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$729 MUR 34.5K

106.92%

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

$624 MUR 29.5K

-18.52%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lalmatie: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $517 in Lalmatie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lalmatie pays 23% 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 $44.00 in Lalmatie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $225 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Lalmatie earns 23% 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 $517 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 381% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $100 in Lalmatie. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $971 in Lalmatie versus $1,265 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.