Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maasin City Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maasin City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $791 in Maasin City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,249 in Maasin City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,708 in Maasin City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than Maasin City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Maasin City 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.44 ₱274

5.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$24.06 ₱1,485

88.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.48 ₱276

88.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.53 ₱156

15.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.78 ₱48.09

-11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.45 ₱27.94

-17.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.57 ₱96.7

53.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.14 ₱132

73.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$2.13 ₱132

4.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.91 ₱56.4

101.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.94 ₱57.9

130.85%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.07 ₱128

6.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.09 ₱808

50.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.16 ₱318

-29.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.51 ₱464

80.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.79 ₱111

83.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.68 ₱41.70

136.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.74 ₱108

38.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.21 ₱136

-5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.64 ₱163

-42.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.46 ₱152

-39.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.97 ₱60.1

2.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.79 ₱48.56

-35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.23 ₱199

36.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.49 ₱400

198.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.21 ₱74.4

47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.31 ₱142

17.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.28 ₱17.33

389.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.81 ₱50.3

272.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.23 ₱14.18

330.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.61 ₱161

440.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.09 ₱67.4

24.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$30.3K ₱1.9M

-6.85%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.0K ₱1.7M

21.89%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$97.3 ₱6,006

25.03%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$34.36 ₱2,120

-60.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$29.35 ₱1,811

-37.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$34.45 ₱2,126

74.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.48 ₱276

282.59%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.96 ₱368

45.81%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$227 ₱14.0K

205.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,943 ₱243.3K

297.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$45.63 ₱2,815

30.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$23.46 ₱1,447

48.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$77.2 ₱4,762

48.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$56.3 ₱3,475

47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$267 ₱16.5K

129.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$173 ₱10.7K

152.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$592 ₱36.5K

253.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$397 ₱24.5K

280.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,802 ₱172.9K

33.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,091 ₱67.3K

139.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$132 ₱8,135

285.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Maasin City: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $267 in Maasin City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 285% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Maasin City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $211 per month, with Maasin City 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 Maasin City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maasin City is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 285% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $267 in Maasin City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $791 in Maasin City – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $791 in Maasin City versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maasin City but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Maasin City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maasin City 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 Maasin City 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 Maasin City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.