Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maiduguri

For one person, living is cheaper in Maiduguri: $172 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$1,207

/mo nomad

Maiduguri

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Maiduguri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $172 in Maiduguri.

Phuket $1,207
Maiduguri $172

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $288 in Maiduguri.

Phuket $2,037
Maiduguri $288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $403 in Maiduguri.

Phuket $2,867
Maiduguri $403

Living in Phuket is roughly 602% more expensive than in Maiduguri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Maiduguri 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$0.55 ₦735

732.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$1.90 ₦2,521

350.00%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$0.86 ₦1,138

216.28%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.25 ₦331

276.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.18 ₦240

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.03 ₦1,368

38.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.99 ₦2,643

-23.12%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.76 ₦2,341

23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.15 ₦6,847

-35.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$3.97 ₦5,286

180.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$4.06 ₦5,397

-27.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.02 ₦1,360

108.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.54 ₦2,045

-0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.02 ₦1,355

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.42 ₦554

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.31 ₦412

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.39 ₦525

469.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.25 ₦332

496.00%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

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

$11.28 ฿377

$8.04 ₦10.7K

40.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$8.05 ₦10.7K

34.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$20.39 ₦27.1K

208.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$17.78 ₦23.6K

60.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$25.34 ₦33.7K

279.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$25.13 ₦33.4K

250.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

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 13, 2026

Last update for Maiduguri: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Maiduguri

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Maiduguri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Maiduguri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Maiduguri

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Maiduguri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Maiduguri

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Maiduguri

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇬 Maiduguri

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

08:05 8:05 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,197,497

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,330 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.52 USD). 1 EUR = 1,495 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Maiduguri 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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Phuket
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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 Maiduguri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maiduguri is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 602% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $258 in Maiduguri to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 167% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $172 in Maiduguri – a 602% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $172 in Maiduguri versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maiduguri but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Maiduguri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Maiduguri 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 Maiduguri 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 Maiduguri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 602% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.