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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $765 in Mandeville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,279 in Mandeville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,794 in Mandeville.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than in Mandeville, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.17 JMD 974

-26.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$63.0 JMD 9,933

-26.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$8.63 JMD 1,362

2.43%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.16 JMD 341

41.67%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.99 JMD 156

-26.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.72 JMD 113

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.21 JMD 348

9.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.79 JMD 441

35.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$4.30 JMD 678

-47.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.15 JMD 339

-15.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.61 JMD 255

39.75%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.47 JMD 547

-35.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.22 JMD 1,771

73.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.46 JMD 1,020

-43.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.83 JMD 1,235

66.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$6.00 JMD 947

-46.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$3.10 JMD 490

-47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.14 JMD 654

-42.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.90 JMD 458

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.08 JMD 329

-26.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.03 JMD 320

-26.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$2.99 JMD 472

-67.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.49 JMD 234

-65.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$8.26 JMD 1,303

-46.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$11.18 JMD 1,765

63.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.76 JMD 436

-32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$3.09 JMD 488

-13.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.12 JMD 177

177.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.21 JMD 506

-67.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.10 JMD 963

131.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.23 JMD 195

6.50%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

-34.72%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

-1.61%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$92.9 JMD 14.7K

31.87%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$22.15 JMD 3,495

-38.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$50.3 JMD 7,943

-62.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$10.77 JMD 1,700

57.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$13.21 JMD 2,085

-31.34%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$226 JMD 35.7K

212.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$2,532 JMD 399.5K

524.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$26.32 JMD 4,153

122.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$26.02 JMD 4,105

35.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$71.6 JMD 11.3K

61.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$76.4 JMD 12.1K

9.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$463 JMD 73.0K

35.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,768 JMD 279.0K

96.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$497 JMD 78.4K

0.55%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Mandeville: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $463 in Mandeville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 1% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $63.0 in Mandeville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $336 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 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $463 in Mandeville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $226 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 $63.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $765 in Mandeville versus $1,250 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 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.