Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manavgat Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manavgat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,010 in Manavgat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,570 in Manavgat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,130 in Manavgat.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Manavgat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Manavgat 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$6.91 ₺328

-35.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,523

$27.36 ₺1,300

66.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.01 ₺191

118.45%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$2.66 ₺126

11.65%

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

$0.69 ฿22.93

$1.75 ₺83.2

-60.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.26 ₺12.33

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$2.75 ₺131

-8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.64 ₺126

42.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.7

$0.83 ₺39.40

159.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.92 ₺43.92

97.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$1.12 ₺53.2

94.64%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$1.72 ₺81.9

30.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$8.09 ₺385

147.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.33 ₺253

-31.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$19.51 ₺927

-30.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$0.66 ₺31.53

390.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.15 ₺102

-23.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$0.70 ₺33.49

232.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$1.16 ₺54.9

78.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.57 ₺27.03

171.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.60

$0.28 ₺13.41

421.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.89

$0.32 ₺15.45

206.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.31 ₺14.91

54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.06 ₺97.8

111.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.91 ₺329

168.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$1.70 ₺80.7

9.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$2.09 ₺99.3

26.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.33

$0.63 ₺29.94

125.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$30.53 ₺1,451

-62.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.10 ₺52.3

188.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.46

$1.08 ₺51.2

-4.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$7.68 ₺365

80.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.89

$1.21 ₺57.5

10.74%

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

$27.8K ฿928.2K

$41.3K ₺2.0M

-32.71%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$42.2K ₺2.0M

-20.85%

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

$123 ฿4,110

$48.91 ₺2,325

151.58%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$8.09 ₺384

70.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$15.26 ₺725

20.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,027

$43.71 ₺2,077

38.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$20.11 ₺956

-14.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.46 ₺307

37.31%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$622 ₺29.6K

10.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.0K

$8,757 ₺416.2K

80.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,981

$47.53 ₺2,259

24.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,159

$26.63 ₺1,266

30.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,847

$107 ₺5,083

7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,798

$109 ₺5,183

-23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$518 ₺24.6K

19.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$388 ₺18.5K

14.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$892 ₺42.4K

127.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$704 ₺33.5K

112.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$1,085 ₺51.6K

218.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$898 ₺42.7K

182.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$710 ₺33.7K

-30.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-73.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Manavgat: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $518 in Manavgat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manavgat pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Manavgat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $197 per month, with Manavgat 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 Manavgat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Manavgat differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $1,010 including rent). Manavgat is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Manavgat. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $518 in Manavgat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Manavgat – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $1,010 in Manavgat – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,010 in Manavgat versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Manavgat but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Manavgat 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 Manavgat 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 Manavgat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.