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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,831 in Mahe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,484 in Mahe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,138 in Mahe.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 32% less than in Mahe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Mahe is 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$15.62 SCR 224

-70.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$70.1 SCR 1,004

-34.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.82 SCR 112

13.04%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.34 SCR 62.3

-29.49%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.29 SCR 32.85

-68.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.75 SCR 25.10

-77.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$8.43 SCR 121

-71.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.26 SCR 75.3

-28.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.53 SCR 21.95

47.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.04 SCR 14.87

74.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.77 SCR 25.31

27.12%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.09 SCR 58.6

-44.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$15.62 SCR 224

24.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.82 SCR 112

-53.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$12.50 SCR 179

4.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.02 SCR 28.94

59.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.24 SCR 32.15

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$5.08 SCR 72.8

-60.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.99 SCR 14.24

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.94 SCR 13.44

59.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.03 SCR 14.71

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$11.97 SCR 172

-62.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.02 SCR 29.01

-7.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.05 SCR 29.36

30.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.85 SCR 12.18

65.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$24.36 SCR 349

-51.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$10.51 SCR 151

-70.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.17 SCR 45.40

-67.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.43 SCR 149

35.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.57 SCR 22.42

-16.56%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿4,118

$83.0 SCR 1,189

47.61%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$20.78 SCR 298

-34.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$159 SCR 2,276

-88.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$51.9 SCR 744

16.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.28 SCR 90.0

44.43%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.08 SCR 388

116.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$10.80 SCR 155

227.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$43.76 SCR 627

163.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$55.5 SCR 794

51.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$844 SCR 12.1K

-25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$862 SCR 12.3K

-48.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,717 SCR 24.6K

18.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,038 SCR 14.9K

43.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$886 SCR 12.7K

-43.56%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mahe: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $844 in Mahe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahe pays 77% 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 $70.0 in Mahe. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $240, 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 46% 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 77% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $844 in Mahe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mahe pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,250 per month in Phuket versus $1,831 in Mahe – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,831 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 $1,250 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 46% less than in Mahe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.