Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maltepe

For one person, living is cheaper in Maltepe: $971 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Maltepe, Turkey
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Maltepe
🇹🇷 Turkey
$971
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Maltepe

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $971 in Maltepe, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Maltepe $971

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,525 in Maltepe, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Maltepe $1,525

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $2,080 in Maltepe, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Maltepe $2,080

Phuket costs about 33% more than Maltepe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Maltepe are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Maltepe 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Maltepe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$8.54 ₺427
-48.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,085
$32.89 ₺1,645
-1.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿292
$8.18 ₺409
6.36%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.5
$3.76 ₺188
-27.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.25
$1.04 ₺52.2
-10.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.78
$0.37 ₺18.65
35.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.0
$2.42 ₺121
4.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$3.04 ₺152
19.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Maltepe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.4
$1.04 ₺52.0
67.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.73
$0.86 ₺42.85
68.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.19 ₺110
-31.51%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.0
$2.34 ₺117
-7.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿641
$10.28 ₺514
85.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$4.93 ₺247
-31.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿366
$19.84 ₺993
-45.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.8
$1.79 ₺89.7
64.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.8
$1.93 ₺96.7
-12.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.7
$1.03 ₺51.5
112.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.4
$1.32 ₺65.8
60.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.99
$0.61 ₺30.67
139.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.95
$0.41 ₺20.73
234.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.14
$0.79 ₺39.43
36.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.32
$0.60 ₺30.07
-8.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$2.03 ₺101
118.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿613
$12.89 ₺645
41.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.5
$2.07 ₺103
-14.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.8
$2.31 ₺115
24.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Maltepe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.62
$0.62 ₺31.03
133.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,844
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.8
$1.27 ₺63.4
18.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.06
$0.91 ₺45.65
-14.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$8.62 ₺431
-55.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.96
$1.42 ₺70.9
4.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿902.9K
$48.6K ₺2.4M
-44.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿884.9K
$40.6K ₺2.0M
-35.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Maltepe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,285
$74.1 ₺3,706
32.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿379
$11.05 ₺553
2.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿577
$14.85 ₺743
15.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Maltepe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,295
$45.79 ₺2,290
49.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿367
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿250
$5.86 ₺293
26.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Maltepe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.8K
$596 ₺29.8K
-11.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿630.9K
$11.6K ₺582.4K
61.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Maltepe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,072
$47.70 ₺2,386
29.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿949
$41.92 ₺2,097
-32.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,225
$81.6 ₺4,080
17.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,916
$92.7 ₺4,637
-6.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Maltepe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.2K
$434 ₺21.7K
66.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.1K
$287 ₺14.4K
77.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.5K
$875 ₺43.7K
122.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.9K
$539 ₺26.9K
159.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿140.8K
$1,371 ₺68.6K
205.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.8K
$971 ₺48.6K
239.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Maltepe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
40.42
-86.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Maltepe: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Maltepe
$287 43.6% $222
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Maltepe
$237 11.1% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Maltepe
$100 20.8% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Maltepe
$119 3.3% $4
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Maltepe
$162 35.4% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Maltepe
$58 30.9% $26
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Maltepe
$8.3 * 87.4% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $434 in Maltepe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $33 in Maltepe. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $237 in Maltepe – so Maltepe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇹🇷 Maltepe
🕒 Local time
17:28 5:28 PM
13:28 1:28 PM
4 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
523,137
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 50.02 TRY (100 TRY = 2 USD). 1 EUR = 56.21 TRY (100 TRY = 1.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Maltepe 7,700 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Maltepe

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 Maltepe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Maltepe cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $1,456 in Maltepe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maltepe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $434 there versus $721 in Phuket.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Maltepe?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $33 in Maltepe. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Maltepe?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Maltepe?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $971 in Maltepe to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Maltepe?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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