Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malatya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Malatya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $967 in Malatya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,478 in Malatya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,988 in Malatya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in Malatya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Malatya 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.48 ₺166

28.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$25.33 ₺1,204

79.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.18 ₺294

41.75%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.19 ₺104

35.62%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.00 ₺47.35

-31.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.39 ₺18.62

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.08 ₺146

-17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.39 ₺161

10.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.07 ₺51.0

100.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.45 ₺21.20

304.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.98 ₺94.2

10.10%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.72 ₺129

-17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.25 ₺535

77.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.98 ₺237

-27.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$20.89 ₺993

-35.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.17 ₺55.5

176.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.01 ₺95.6

-18.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.03 ₺48.77

126.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.16 ₺55.2

78.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.86 ₺41.10

80.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.75 ₺35.50

94.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.67 ₺31.78

46.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.38 ₺18.29

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.17 ₺103

100.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$8.48 ₺403

118.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.47 ₺117

-24.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.46 ₺165

-23.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.64 ₺30.25

121.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$30.23 ₺1,437

-61.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.09 ₺52.0

190.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.61 ₺29.11

68.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$7.77 ₺369

78.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.09 ₺51.6

22.94%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$41.3K ₺2.0M

-32.66%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$44.3K ₺2.1M

-24.70%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$60.9 ₺2,896

101.95%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$9.11 ₺433

51.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$8.99 ₺427

103.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$43.34 ₺2,060

40.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$2.58 ₺123

243.80%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$620 ₺29.5K

10.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$8,918 ₺423.9K

76.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$18.98 ₺902

212.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$25.48 ₺1,211

36.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$76.4 ₺3,630

50.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$51.6 ₺2,453

62.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$512 ₺24.3K

21.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$396 ₺18.8K

12.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$878 ₺41.7K

131.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$705 ₺33.5K

112.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$960 ₺45.6K

-48.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-88.66%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Malatya: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $512 in Malatya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malatya pays 94% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Malatya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $231 per month, with Malatya cheaper across the board.

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 Malatya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Malatya differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $967 including rent). Malatya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 94% lower in Malatya. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $512 in Malatya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Malatya runs roughly 161% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $620 in Malatya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $967 in Malatya versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malatya but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Malatya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Malatya 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 Malatya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.