Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mahe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mahe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,792 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,638 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $3,484 in Mahe.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 30% less than in Mahe, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Mahe is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$18.05 SCR 259

-74.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$109 SCR 1,567

-70.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.86 SCR 83.9

51.88%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$6.64 SCR 95.1

-57.83%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.63 SCR 23.38

-46.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$13.03 SCR 187

-81.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$9.26 SCR 133

-59.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.65 SCR 23.66

8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.10 SCR 15.72

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.82 SCR 26.07

-13.19%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$4.20 SCR 60.2

-49.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$16.27 SCR 233

22.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$8.26 SCR 118

-58.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$12.94 SCR 185

-12.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.16 SCR 30.94

36.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$2.35 SCR 33.69

-1.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$6.37 SCR 91.2

-67.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.11 SCR 15.84

32.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.08 SCR 15.41

25.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.12 SCR 16.05

-1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$14.51 SCR 208

-70.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.20 SCR 31.47

32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.81 SCR 11.66

174.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$36.92 SCR 529

-37.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$14.57 SCR 209

-73.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.55 SCR 22.18

-3.87%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

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

$103 ฿3,379

$50.3 SCR 720

104.58%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$21.91 SCR 314

-49.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$108 SCR 1,541

-83.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$55.2 SCR 790

-3.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$6.62 SCR 94.8

12.99%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$31.48 SCR 451

103.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$12.53 SCR 180

132.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$50.6 SCR 724

89.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$62.7 SCR 898

44.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$864 SCR 12.4K

-15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$883 SCR 12.6K

-43.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,792 SCR 25.7K

16.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$1,073 SCR 15.4K

12.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$885 SCR 12.7K

-43.14%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mahe: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $864 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahe pays 76% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $109 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $247, with Mahe cheaper for home cooking.

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 Mahe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Mahe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Mahe. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $864 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mahe pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,253 per month in Phuket versus $1,792 in Mahe – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,792 in Mahe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mahe. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,253 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mahe 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Mahe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.