Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mandi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mandi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $377 in Mandi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $579 in Mandi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $782 in Mandi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 236% more expensive than in Mandi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Mandi 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$1.04 ₹99.0

348.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$10.51 ₹1,004

206.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$3.76 ₹359

130.85%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.86 ₹82.2

237.21%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.35 ₹33.87

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.10 ₹9.43

390.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.94 ₹186

27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.21 ₹306

16.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.62 ₹59.6

204.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.53 ₹50.4

166.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.64 ₹60.9

153.13%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$0.90 ₹85.5

148.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$2.48 ₹237

700.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$2.06 ₹197

68.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.04 ₹99.0

178.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.76 ₹72.7

126.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.54 ₹51.6

320.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.33 ₹31.65

545.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.30 ₹28.68

390.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.38 ₹35.87

273.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.30 ₹29.09

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.20 ₹19.10

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.54 ₹434

-5.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$8.41 ₹804

121.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.54 ₹147

16.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.12 ₹202

40.09%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.01 ₹478

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.27 ₹26.00

733.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$7.04 ₹672

233.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.08 ₹103

187.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.31 ₹29.41

248.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$1.40 ₹134

176.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.98 ₹93.7

45.92%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$13.0K ₹1.2M

113.73%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$18.3K ₹1.8M

47.31%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$63.6 ₹6,077

64.75%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$3.67 ₹351

210.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$7.42 ₹709

136.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$14.35 ₹1,371

278.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$6.47 ₹618

76.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.81 ₹364

104.20%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$50.3 ₹4,804

1046.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$1,401 ₹133.8K

726.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$24.97 ₹2,386

154.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$28.15 ₹2,689

3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$40.15 ₹3,836

139.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$39.30 ₹3,755

129.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$138 ₹13.2K

431.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$84.0 ₹8,027

496.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$266 ₹25.4K

698.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$170 ₹16.3K

635.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,109 ₹106.0K

218.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$552 ₹52.8K

374.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$424 ₹40.5K

19.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.88

-37.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Mandi: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $138 in Mandi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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 $11.00 in Mandi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $83.0 per month, with Mandi 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 Mandi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Mandi differ by about 236% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $377 including rent). Mandi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $138 in Mandi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 231% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandi – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $377 in Mandi versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mandi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mandi 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 Mandi 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 Mandi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 236% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.