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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $492 in M'Sila.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $799 in M'Sila.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,106 in M'Sila.

Living in Phuket is roughly 157% more expensive than in M'Sila, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, M'Sila 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$1.90 DZD 251

145.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$19.33 DZD 2,563

66.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.94 DZD 523

120.30%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.40 DZD 53.6

625.00%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.54 DZD 71.5

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.22 DZD 29.24

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.30 DZD 305

7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.37 DZD 315

57.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.82 DZD 108

130.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.13 DZD 17.01

984.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.20 DZD 159

35.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.34 DZD 177

67.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$3.06 DZD 406

548.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.15 DZD 550

-16.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.31 DZD 1,235

22.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.10 DZD 279

38.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.80 DZD 372

-38.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.17 DZD 155

94.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.58 DZD 77.2

267.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.52 DZD 69.2

182.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.29 DZD 38.23

389.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.13 DZD 17.17

746.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.26 DZD 34.31

130.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.80 DZD 371

53.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.77 DZD 898

174.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.31 DZD 174

37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.00 DZD 265

48.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.19 DZD 24.55

1084.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$6.37 DZD 844

268.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.57 DZD 75.0

443.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.46 DZD 60.9

134.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$5.73 DZD 760

-32.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.33 DZD 43.19

333.33%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$35.9K DZD 4.8M

-22.69%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$35.1K DZD 4.7M

-23.12%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$24.03 DZD 3,187

336.12%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$7.98 DZD 1,058

42.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$12.84 DZD 1,703

36.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$20.73 DZD 2,749

162.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.64 DZD 615

67.67%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$119 DZD 15.8K

383.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$6,564 DZD 870.5K

76.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$33.62 DZD 4,458

89.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$35.79 DZD 4,746

-18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$71.6 DZD 9,497

34.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$84.4 DZD 11.2K

6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$157 DZD 20.8K

366.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$109 DZD 14.5K

358.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$282 DZD 37.4K

654.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$214 DZD 28.4K

485.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,325 DZD 175.8K

166.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$654 DZD 86.7K

301.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$249 DZD 33.0K

103.67%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for M'Sila: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $157 in M'Sila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 104% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in M'Sila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $142 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, Getting Around. The 157% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 104% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $157 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 269% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $119 in M'Sila. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $492 in M'Sila versus $1,265 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 157% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.