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 $650 in Malatya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $983 in Malatya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,316 in Malatya.

Living in Phuket is roughly 90% more expensive than in Malatya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Malatya 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.91 ₺240

-10.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$25.30 ₺1,234

27.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.31 ₺357

22.16%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.65 ₺80.5

75.76%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.91 ₺44.53

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.22 ₺10.71

118.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.40 ₺117

-2.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.43 ₺167

8.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.85 ₺41.40

120.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.76 ₺36.87

93.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$2.70 ₺132

-42.59%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.91 ₺93.3

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$7.97 ₺389

145.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.42 ₺118

41.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$16.99 ₺828

-33.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.46 ₺71.1

104.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.56 ₺76.0

7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$0.86 ₺41.83

156.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$0.74 ₺35.90

191.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.44 ₺21.31

245.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.39 ₺18.85

243.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.56 ₺27.20

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.44 ₺21.61

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.92 ₺93.8

121.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.17 ₺398

133.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.01 ₺97.8

-11.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.30 ₺112

20.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.28 ₺13.45

696.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.87 ₺42.60

248.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.46 ₺22.34

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.26 ₺61.6

18.25%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$38.4K ₺1.9M

-30.72%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$37.3K ₺1.8M

-27.54%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$30.46 ₺1,485

236.41%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$10.38 ₺506

9.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$10.74 ₺524

62.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$36.03 ₺1,757

44.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$3.62 ₺176

112.43%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$15.25 ₺744

313.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$14.37 ₺701

105.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$54.9 ₺2,675

78.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$36.66 ₺1,788

141.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$325 ₺15.9K

126.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$220 ₺10.7K

119.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$425 ₺20.7K

395.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$304 ₺14.8K

303.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$954 ₺46.5K

-48.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-88.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Malatya: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $325 in Malatya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malatya pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Malatya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $186 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 90% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $650 including rent). Malatya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 93% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $325 in Malatya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Malatya – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $650 in Malatya – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $650 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 90% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.