Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maltepe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maltepe

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,078 in Maltepe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,662 in Maltepe, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $2,247 in Maltepe, rent included.

Phuket costs about 14% more than Maltepe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Maltepe are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Maltepe 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.34 ₺512

-59.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$29.84 ₺1,347

56.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.16 ₺278

43.51%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.38 ₺107

26.05%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.02 ₺46.12

-27.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.37 ₺16.64

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.09 ₺94.4

16.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.55 ₺115

41.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.00 ₺45.24

126.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.68 ₺30.78

170.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.25 ₺102

-0.44%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.25 ₺102

3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.24 ₺417

112.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.98 ₺225

-26.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$19.76 ₺892

-33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.51 ₺68.2

124.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.17 ₺98.1

-24.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.28 ₺57.9

88.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.58 ₺71.3

28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.70 ₺31.48

122.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.67 ₺30.28

123.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.66 ₺29.68

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.58 ₺25.97

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.17 ₺98.0

105.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.27 ₺509

67.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.24 ₺101

-20.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.07 ₺139

-10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.62 ₺27.92

125.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$31.06 ₺1,402

-63.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.06 ₺47.80

194.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.59 ₺26.48

69.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.69 ₺392

62.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.15 ₺52.0

17.39%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$46.2K ₺2.1M

-41.18%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$43.1K ₺1.9M

-23.57%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$62.1 ₺2,802

101.35%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$11.21 ₺506

21.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$12.71 ₺574

45.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$43.33 ₺1,956

41.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.48 ₺338

22.86%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$940 ₺42.4K

-25.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,129 ₺276.7K

154.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$40.64 ₺1,834

42.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$46.12 ₺2,082

-23.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$58.2 ₺2,628

94.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$107 ₺4,834

-19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$506 ₺22.8K

21.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$390 ₺17.6K

14.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$891 ₺40.2K

129.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$712 ₺32.1K

109.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,294 ₺58.4K

192.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$924 ₺41.7K

186.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-83.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Maltepe: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $506 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $30.00 in Maltepe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $233 – making Maltepe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 14%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,617 in Maltepe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maltepe, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $30.00 in Maltepe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maltepe, where all-in costs run around $1,078, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Maltepe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maltepe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Maltepe. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.