Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mandeville Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mandeville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $810 in Mandeville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,410 in Mandeville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,011 in Mandeville.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than in Mandeville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Mandeville 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.21 JMD 975

-24.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$73.7 JMD 11.6K

-56.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.94 JMD 1,404

-2.91%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.20 JMD 345

31.82%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.08 JMD 170

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.74 JMD 116

-33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.15 JMD 338

15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.91 JMD 457

28.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$4.12 JMD 648

-54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.87 JMD 293

-24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.60 JMD 251

1.25%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.62 JMD 569

-38.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.30 JMD 1,775

75.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.50 JMD 1,020

-46.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.33 JMD 1,623

10.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$6.25 JMD 982

-53.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$3.86 JMD 607

-55.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$7.40 JMD 1,163

-69.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.14 JMD 493

-32.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$3.26 JMD 512

-54.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$2.69 JMD 422

-47.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$3.11 JMD 489

-64.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.52 JMD 239

-60.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$8.13 JMD 1,276

-46.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.35 JMD 1,783

63.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.85 JMD 448

-36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$4.11 JMD 646

-27.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.19 JMD 187

160.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$3.13 JMD 491

-65.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$6.22 JMD 977

-37.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.35 JMD 212

5.93%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$43.4K JMD 6.8M

-35.94%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$33.3K JMD 5.2M

-18.93%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$94.0 JMD 14.8K

11.50%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$21.95 JMD 3,448

-48.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$50.7 JMD 7,964

-65.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$10.94 JMD 1,719

4.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$13.03 JMD 2,047

-40.29%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$369 JMD 58.0K

56.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$8,155 JMD 1.3M

42.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$24.13 JMD 3,791

163.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$31.52 JMD 4,952

-7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

24.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$103 JMD 16.3K

-13.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$466 JMD 73.3K

57.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,779 JMD 279.4K

98.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$497 JMD 78.1K

2.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.45

-41.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mandeville: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $466 in Mandeville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Mandeville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $369 per month, with Phuket 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 Mandeville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandeville is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $466 in Mandeville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $369 in Mandeville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandeville – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $810 in Mandeville versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mandeville but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mandeville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mandeville is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mandeville 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 Mandeville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.