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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $374 in Mandi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $583 in Mandi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $792 in Mandi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 238% more expensive than in Mandi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Mandi 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.13 ₹108

296.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$9.13 ₹873

399.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$3.97 ₹380

120.65%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$0.94 ₹90.0

215.96%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.40 ₹38.66

72.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.10 ₹9.92

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.99 ₹191

27.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.89 ₹277

29.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.60 ₹57.0

258.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.49 ₹46.77

271.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.75 ₹71.7

190.67%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$0.92 ₹88.2

144.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$2.86 ₹274

599.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.26 ₹216

60.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.18 ₹113

174.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.73 ₹70.2

124.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.56 ₹54.0

316.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.34 ₹32.42

508.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.34 ₹32.90

355.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.44 ₹42.30

231.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.34 ₹32.49

188.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.24 ₹23.10

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.44 ₹424

-2.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$8.11 ₹776

128.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.69 ₹162

10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.32 ₹222

14.22%

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

$5.89 ₹563

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.30 ₹28.70

373.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$8.53 ₹815

35.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.78 ₹74.7

306.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.24 ₹23.01

329.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$1.54 ₹147

801.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.12 ₹107

19.64%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$13.0K ₹1.2M

114.00%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.0K ₹1.9M

67.29%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$41.59 ₹3,977

195.86%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$3.69 ₹353

273.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$7.69 ₹735

138.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$15.81 ₹1,512

283.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$7.04 ₹673

143.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$5.68 ₹543

56.16%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$66.1 ₹6,317

941.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$1,122 ₹107.3K

1306.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$21.86 ₹2,091

171.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$28.51 ₹2,727

21.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$46.97 ₹4,492

145.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$43.06 ₹4,118

94.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$126 ₹12.1K

393.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$76.0 ₹7,265

487.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$278 ₹26.6K

630.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$179 ₹17.1K

737.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$425 ₹40.6K

16.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.25

-35.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Mandi: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $126 in Mandi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% 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 $9.00 in Mandi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $87.0 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 238% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $374 including rent). Mandi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $126 in Mandi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 234% 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 $9.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $374 in Mandi versus $1,264 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 238% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.