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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $971 in Malatya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,484 in Malatya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,998 in Malatya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 27% more expensive than Malatya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Malatya 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.53 ₺159

31.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$25.22 ₺1,139

85.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.21 ₺280

42.35%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.14 ₺96.8

40.19%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.00 ₺45.18

-26.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.36 ₺16.31

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.08 ₺139

-20.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.51 ₺158

2.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.09 ₺49.25

107.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.44 ₺19.90

318.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.05 ₺92.7

9.27%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.66 ₺120

-12.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.35 ₺512

73.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.92 ₺222

-25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$20.66 ₺933

-36.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.17 ₺52.8

189.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.01 ₺90.8

-18.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.07 ₺48.22

125.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.20 ₺54.2

69.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.81 ₺36.78

92.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.74 ₺33.61

102.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.66 ₺29.88

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.38 ₺17.19

28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.19 ₺98.9

103.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.01 ₺497

71.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.55 ₺115

-30.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.47 ₺157

-20.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.67 ₺30.15

108.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$31.07 ₺1,402

-63.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.05 ₺47.61

197.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.61 ₺27.32

63.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.49 ₺338

88.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.08 ₺48.63

25.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$40.8K ₺1.8M

-33.41%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$45.2K ₺2.0M

-27.19%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$61.5 ₺2,776

103.22%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.00 ₺406

50.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$8.73 ₺394

112.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$42.83 ₺1,933

43.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.58 ₺117

256.20%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$602 ₺27.2K

16.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$8,797 ₺397.1K

77.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$18.68 ₺843

209.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$24.91 ₺1,124

41.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$74.9 ₺3,380

51.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$51.3 ₺2,313

68.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$520 ₺23.5K

18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$392 ₺17.7K

13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$889 ₺40.1K

130.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$713 ₺32.2K

109.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$985 ₺44.4K

-46.79%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Malatya: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $520 in Malatya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malatya pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Malatya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $236 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 27% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $971 including rent). Malatya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Malatya earns 88% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $520 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 171% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $602 in Malatya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $971 in Malatya versus $1,232 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 27% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.