Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and M'Sila Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and M'Sila

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $531 in M'Sila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $836 in M'Sila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,142 in M'Sila.

Living in Phuket is roughly 138% more expensive than in M'Sila, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, M'Sila 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.91 DZD 253

134.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$19.50 DZD 2,580

133.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$3.90 DZD 516

124.62%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$0.40 DZD 53.1

642.50%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.56 DZD 73.6

23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.21 DZD 27.99

85.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.00 DZD 264

26.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.31 DZD 306

62.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.82 DZD 109

162.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.12 DZD 15.32

1416.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.43 DZD 190

52.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.53 DZD 203

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$3.15 DZD 417

534.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.30 DZD 702

-31.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.69 DZD 1,282

39.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$3.06 DZD 405

5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$2.89 DZD 383

-43.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.73 DZD 229

34.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.58 DZD 77.0

256.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.53 DZD 69.8

192.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.31 DZD 41.07

370.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.14 DZD 18.97

600.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.28 DZD 36.57

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.79 DZD 369

55.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$6.81 DZD 901

172.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.31 DZD 173

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.16 DZD 286

22.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.25 DZD 33.17

468.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$17.58 DZD 2,327

-34.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.65 DZD 86.7

387.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.34 DZD 44.71

202.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$5.53 DZD 732

151.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.35 DZD 46.43

282.86%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$35.9K DZD 4.7M

-22.52%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$33.9K DZD 4.5M

-1.41%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$24.32 DZD 3,219

405.96%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$7.98 DZD 1,057

72.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$17.84 DZD 2,361

2.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$23.14 DZD 3,062

162.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.01 DZD 796

47.59%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$93.4 DZD 12.4K

636.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$3,661 DZD 484.5K

330.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$36.39 DZD 4,816

62.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$45.93 DZD 6,079

-24.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$76.0 DZD 10.1K

51.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$76.4 DZD 10.1K

9.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$195 DZD 25.8K

218.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$115 DZD 15.2K

287.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$274 DZD 36.3K

641.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$184 DZD 24.4K

711.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,113 DZD 147.3K

210.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$637 DZD 84.3K

297.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$248 DZD 32.9K

98.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.42

-1.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $195 in M'Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 99% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in M'Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $159 per month, with M'Sila 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 M'Sila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

M'Sila is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 99% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $195 in M'Sila. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in M'Sila runs roughly 52% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $93.4 in M'Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $531 in M'Sila versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in M'Sila but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes M'Sila the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, M'Sila 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 M'Sila 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 M'Sila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.