Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $538 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mahajanga

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $538 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Mahajanga $538

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $792 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Mahajanga $792

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,045 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Mahajanga $1,045

Phuket costs about 137% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Mahajanga are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Mahajanga 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.02 MGA 9,238

121.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$17.69 MGA 81.0K

83.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$0.64 MGA 2,927

342.19%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.90 MGA 4,108

-3.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.84 MGA 3,850

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$0.97 MGA 4,431

163.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.57 MGA 7,197

134.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.34 MGA 6,128

23.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.81 MGA 3,726

80.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.60 MGA 2,740

150.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.06 MGA 9,446

1.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

191.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

-49.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

215.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.07 MGA 4,898

173.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.63 MGA 2,866

168.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.68 MGA 3,110

230.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.68 MGA 3,134

205.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.52 MGA 2,366

190.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.54 MGA 2,463

155.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.32 MGA 1,450

234.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.57 MGA 2,598

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.85 MGA 40.5K

112.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.76 MGA 3,462

139.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$0.90 MGA 4,128

215.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.24 MGA 1,104

504.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.33 MGA 6,110

10.53%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$43.81 MGA 200.5K

119.93%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$6.56 MGA 30.0K

71.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$21.87 MGA 100.1K

-22.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$17.71 MGA 81.0K

279.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$325 MGA 1.5M

120.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$265 MGA 1.2M

85.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$661 MGA 3.0M

191.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$436 MGA 2.0M

228.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $325 in Mahajanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $18 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $144 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

21:25 9:25 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

246,022

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Mahajanga 6,310 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 137% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $808 in Mahajanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $325 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $538 in Mahajanga. That makes Mahajanga about 58% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 85% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $538, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $538 in Mahajanga to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.