Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manakara

For one person, living is cheaper in Manakara: $397 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Manakara
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Manakara Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Manakara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$397

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Manakara

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $397 in Manakara, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Manakara $397

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $610 in Manakara, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Manakara $610

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $822 in Manakara, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Manakara $822

Phuket costs about 222% more than Manakara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Manakara are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Manakara 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.23 MGA 10.2K

100.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$14.74 MGA 67.5K

119.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$3.58 MGA 16.4K

146.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.14 MGA 5,205

148.25%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.61 MGA 2,771

42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.53 MGA 2,424

-7.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$1.18 MGA 5,424

116.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.47 MGA 6,721

150.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.78 MGA 8,161

-6.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.02 MGA 4,685

43.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$0.67 MGA 3,057

123.88%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.28 MGA 10.4K

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$6.56 MGA 30.0K

190.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.40 MGA 15.6K

-2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$3.60 MGA 16.5K

203.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$0.95 MGA 4,365

208.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.72 MGA 3,304

134.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$0.37 MGA 1,696

508.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.71 MGA 3,265

192.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.58 MGA 2,679

160.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.70 MGA 3,203

97.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.35 MGA 1,584

205.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.63 MGA 2,903

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.36 MGA 6,248

208.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$4.34 MGA 19.9K

332.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.06 MGA 4,858

71.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.25 MGA 5,707

127.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.21 MGA 961

590.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$34.72 MGA 159.0K

63.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.12 MGA 5,152

169.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$2.26 MGA 10.4K

-54.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$3.32 MGA 15.2K

11.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.12 MGA 5,111

31.25%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$15.2K MGA 69.6M

76.15%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$20.7K MGA 94.7M

29.14%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$42.29 MGA 193.7K

127.83%

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$53.6 MGA 245.6K

-68.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$11.63 MGA 53.3K

478.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$22.17 MGA 101.5K

2046.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$16.20 MGA 74.2K

284.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$20.07 MGA 91.9K

41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$44.60 MGA 204.3K

111.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$43.80 MGA 200.6K

95.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$115 MGA 527.9K

335.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-76.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manakara: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Manakara

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Manakara

$130 32.7% 51.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Manakara

$96 * 24.1% 22.9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Manakara

$56 14.1% 54% $66

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Manakara

$56 14% 54.3% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Manakara

$12 * 2.9% 85.9% $71

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Manakara

$48 12.1% 32% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Phuket are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $15 in Manakara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $130 – making Manakara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇬 Manakara

🕒 Local time

15:58 3:58 PM

11:58 11:58 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

44,237

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4,580 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,111 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Manakara 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Manakara

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 Manakara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 222%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $596 in Manakara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $22 in Manakara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 105% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manakara, where all-in costs run around $397, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Manakara 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 $397 in Manakara to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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