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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,779 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,453 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,128 in Mahe.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Mahe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Mahe is 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$15.43 SCR 223

-69.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$69.8 SCR 1,010

-34.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.22 SCR 119

2.55%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$4.38 SCR 63.4

-33.11%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.37 SCR 34.24

-70.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.81 SCR 26.20

-79.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$8.24 SCR 119

-70.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.18 SCR 75.0

-28.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.59 SCR 23.04

40.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.09 SCR 15.79

67.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.73 SCR 24.99

25.43%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$4.16 SCR 60.2

-46.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$15.63 SCR 226

26.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.88 SCR 114

-53.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.51 SCR 181

8.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.06 SCR 29.77

59.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.23 SCR 32.29

8.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.15 SCR 74.5

-59.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.96 SCR 13.83

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.96 SCR 13.84

54.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.06 SCR 15.34

-6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$12.15 SCR 176

-63.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.11 SCR 30.56

-15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.06 SCR 29.81

31.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.85 SCR 12.24

61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$23.89 SCR 346

-52.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$10.24 SCR 148

-70.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$3.21 SCR 46.39

-69.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.20 SCR 148

38.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.56 SCR 22.58

-12.82%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿3,978

$84.0 SCR 1,216

44.90%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$21.09 SCR 305

-35.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$161 SCR 2,324

-88.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$52.5 SCR 760

14.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.28 SCR 91.0

38.38%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$27.27 SCR 395

118.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$10.82 SCR 157

221.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$43.47 SCR 629

163.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$55.2 SCR 799

50.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$815 SCR 11.8K

-24.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$852 SCR 12.3K

-48.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,740 SCR 25.2K

20.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,031 SCR 14.9K

46.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$897 SCR 13.0K

-43.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mahe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $815 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $70.0 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $243, 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 41% 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, Mahe earns 76% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $815 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mahe pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,779 in Mahe – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,779 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 $1,265 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 41% less than in Mahe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.