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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $800 in Maasin City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,248 in Maasin City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,697 in Maasin City.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Maasin City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Maasin City 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.34 ₱266

3.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$24.10 ₱1,475

89.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.40 ₱269

99.09%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.62 ₱160

13.36%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.79 ₱48.53

-12.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.43 ₱26.06

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.57 ₱96.1

61.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.12 ₱130

76.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.19 ₱134

-1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.91 ₱55.6

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.93 ₱57.1

134.41%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.11 ₱129

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.77 ₱781

56.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.33 ₱326

-31.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.62 ₱466

77.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.76 ₱108

84.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.69 ₱42.25

137.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.80 ₱110

29.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.29 ₱140

-9.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.56 ₱157

-39.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.49 ₱152

-41.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.00 ₱61.4

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.84 ₱51.5

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.24 ₱198

34.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.44 ₱394

188.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.21 ₱74.2

53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.31 ₱142

14.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.28 ₱17.30

407.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.83 ₱51.1

281.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.25 ₱15.33

312.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.69 ₱165

416.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.10 ₱67.1

21.82%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$30.3K ₱1.9M

-8.43%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.0K ₱1.7M

23.74%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$95.7 ₱5,858

28.58%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$34.59 ₱2,117

-60.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$30.14 ₱1,845

-39.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$33.26 ₱2,036

82.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$4.48 ₱274

283.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.11 ₱374

45.17%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$234 ₱14.3K

193.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,973 ₱243.2K

297.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$45.67 ₱2,795

29.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$23.25 ₱1,423

49.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$76.9 ₱4,709

49.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$56.0 ₱3,428

49.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$271 ₱16.6K

129.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$174 ₱10.7K

155.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$584 ₱35.8K

247.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$388 ₱23.7K

286.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,172 ₱132.9K

59.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,084 ₱66.4K

133.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$130 ₱7,984

278.46%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Maasin City: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $271 in Maasin City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 278% 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 $24.00 in Maasin City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $213 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 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 278% 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 $271 in Maasin City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $800 in Maasin City – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $800 in Maasin City versus $1,264 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 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.