Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and M'Sila

For one person, living is cheaper in M’Sila: $462 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in M'Sila
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M'Sila Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

M'Sila

🇩🇿 Algeria

$462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in M'Sila

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 M'Sila actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $462 in M’Sila.

Phuket $1,278
M'Sila $462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $760 in M’Sila.

Phuket $2,216
M'Sila $760

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,058 in M’Sila.

Phuket $3,154
M'Sila $1,058

Living in Phuket is roughly 177% more expensive than in M’Sila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, M’Sila 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.87 DZD 251

139.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$18.79 DZD 2,528

72.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.72 DZD 501

136.83%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$0.39 DZD 52.6

625.64%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.54 DZD 73.2

61.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.21 DZD 27.82

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.22 DZD 299

15.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.30 DZD 309

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.85 DZD 114

95.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$0.13 DZD 17.07

1023.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.12 DZD 150

33.93%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.18 DZD 158

77.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$2.96 DZD 399

544.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.00 DZD 538

-17.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.29 DZD 1,250

17.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.00 DZD 269

46.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.78 DZD 374

-39.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.07 DZD 145

110.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.52 DZD 70.1

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.47 DZD 63.2

221.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.28 DZD 37.35

392.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.11 DZD 14.56

872.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.25 DZD 33.40

108.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.74 DZD 369

53.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$6.56 DZD 883

186.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.29 DZD 173

41.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.86 DZD 251

52.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.23 DZD 31.48

530.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$7.35 DZD 989

670.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.54 DZD 72.3

459.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.46 DZD 61.9

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$5.57 DZD 749

-33.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$0.33 DZD 44.68

345.45%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$35.2K DZD 4.7M

-23.90%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$34.0K DZD 4.6M

-21.39%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$23.53 DZD 3,166

309.48%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.56 DZD 1,018

48.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$12.41 DZD 1,670

35.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$22.19 DZD 2,985

202.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.60 DZD 619

63.04%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$115 DZD 15.4K

314.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$6,272 DZD 843.9K

79.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$32.02 DZD 4,308

94.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$34.07 DZD 4,584

-16.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$69.8 DZD 9,391

35.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$80.9 DZD 10.9K

6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$146 DZD 19.7K

389.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$90.5 DZD 12.2K

442.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$272 DZD 36.7K

607.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$195 DZD 26.2K

634.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$981 DZD 132.0K

325.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$615 DZD 82.7K

395.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$238 DZD 32.1K

110.65%

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 M'Sila: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

M'Sila

$91 19.6% 81.6% $400

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

M'Sila

$138 29.9% 48.2% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

M'Sila

$44 9.4% 65% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

M'Sila

$98 21.1% 20% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

M'Sila

$49 10.7% 59.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

M'Sila

$31 6.8% 61.8% $51

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

M'Sila

$11 2.4% 84.2% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $146 in M’Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.1 times 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: $32 in Phuket vs $19 in M’Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $138 per month, with M’Sila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇩🇿 M'Sila

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

01:13 1:13 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

156,647

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket M'Sila 9,840 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
M'Sila

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 M'Sila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

M’Sila is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $146 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 87% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $115 in M’Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $462 in M’Sila versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and M’Sila are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find M’Sila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.