Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Managua

For one person, living is cheaper in Managua: $1,042 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Managua
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Managua Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Managua

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,042

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Managua

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,042 in Managua, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Managua $1,042

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,629 in Managua, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Managua $1,629

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $2,215 in Managua, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Managua $2,215

Phuket costs about 16% more than Managua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Managua are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Managua 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$9.82 NIO 360

-53.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$35.64 NIO 1,305

-8.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$7.51 NIO 275

13.85%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.58 NIO 94.4

5.43%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.91 NIO 33.38

3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.74 NIO 27.07

-33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.47 NIO 54.0

76.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.21 NIO 81.1

73.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.22 NIO 44.57

42.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$2.39 NIO 87.5

-40.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.88 NIO 68.7

-18.62%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.43 NIO 88.9

-10.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$11.40 NIO 418

67.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$6.41 NIO 235

-48.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$7.74 NIO 283

43.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$4.08 NIO 149

-27.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.59 NIO 21.50

184.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.84 NIO 67.4

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.47 NIO 90.5

-13.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$3.99 NIO 146

-61.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.17 NIO 79.5

-37.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.04 NIO 38.08

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.01 NIO 36.86

-45.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.68 NIO 98.0

58.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$14.72 NIO 539

23.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.43 NIO 52.4

21.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.27 NIO 83.1

22.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.16 NIO 5.69

1287.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$5.99 NIO 220

268.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.66 NIO 60.7

75.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.61 NIO 58.9

-37.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$6.88 NIO 252

-44.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.35 NIO 49.58

10.37%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$23.2K NIO 850.6K

14.87%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$26.2K NIO 960.2K

1.88%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$150 NIO 5,499

-33.82%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$19.87 NIO 728

-43.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$32.01 NIO 1,172

-45.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$35.39 NIO 1,296

47.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$15.16 NIO 555

-28.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$9.06 NIO 332

-16.45%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$235 NIO 8,616

137.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$6,163 NIO 225.7K

86.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$59.1 NIO 2,163

6.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$65.8 NIO 2,408

-56.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$123 NIO 4,494

-21.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$147 NIO 5,394

-40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$257 NIO 9,407

183.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$182 NIO 6,678

152.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$435 NIO 15.9K

381.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$370 NIO 13.5K

230.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,188 NIO 43.5K

191.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$681 NIO 24.9K

265.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$430 NIO 15.7K

14.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.92

-53.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Managua: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Managua

$182 17.5% 60.4% $278

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Managua

$260 25% 2.8% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Managua

$202 19.4% 57.8% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Managua

$178 17.1% 43.2% $54

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Managua

$150 14.4% 24% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Managua

$54 5.1% 20.6% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Managua

$16 1.6% 58.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $257 in Managua. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $36.00 in Managua. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $260 in Managua – so Managua wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇮 Managua

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

07:42 7:42 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,039,290 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Managua 17,730 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Managua

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 Managua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $1,042 in Managua – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,563 in Managua. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 268% less in Managua. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $235 in Managua. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Managua, where all-in costs run around $1,042, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Managua it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,042 in Managua to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Managua. 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.