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 $765 in Mandeville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,284 in Mandeville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,803 in Mandeville.

Living in Phuket is roughly 65% more expensive than Mandeville, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Mandeville 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.14 JMD 963

-23.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$63.5 JMD 9,952

-28.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.94 JMD 1,401

-5.70%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.14 JMD 336

36.92%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.98 JMD 153

-29.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.76 JMD 120

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.25 JMD 352

7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.77 JMD 435

34.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$4.23 JMD 663

-47.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.08 JMD 326

-12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.57 JMD 245

38.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.53 JMD 554

-37.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.21 JMD 1,757

76.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.32 JMD 991

-42.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.60 JMD 1,190

78.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$6.08 JMD 952

-46.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.99 JMD 469

-46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$4.15 JMD 650

-41.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.00 JMD 470

-30.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.02 JMD 316

-24.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.98 JMD 310

-25.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.97 JMD 465

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.49 JMD 234

-65.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$8.34 JMD 1,306

-47.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.61 JMD 1,819

66.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.91 JMD 456

-38.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.22 JMD 505

-15.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.09 JMD 170

177.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.09 JMD 484

-67.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.12 JMD 959

130.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.28 JMD 200

6.25%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$43.0K JMD 6.7M

-34.48%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.5K JMD 5.2M

-1.80%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$93.0 JMD 14.6K

30.80%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$21.59 JMD 3,383

-37.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$50.3 JMD 7,874

-63.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$10.81 JMD 1,694

58.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$12.90 JMD 2,022

-32.64%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$228 JMD 35.6K

204.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,457 JMD 384.9K

538.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$26.55 JMD 4,160

124.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$25.78 JMD 4,039

34.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$70.6 JMD 11.1K

62.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$77.6 JMD 12.2K

7.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$470 JMD 73.6K

30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,799 JMD 281.9K

108.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$511 JMD 80.0K

-0.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.15

-41.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mandeville: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $470 in Mandeville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandeville pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $64.0 in Mandeville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $335 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 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mandeville earns 0% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $470 in Mandeville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $228 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 $64.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 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 65% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.