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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $368 in Mandi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $582 in Mandi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $796 in Mandi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 234% more expensive than Mandi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Mandi 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$1.13 ₹107

309.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$9.34 ₹887

401.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.02 ₹382

119.90%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.92 ₹87.3

226.09%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.43 ₹41.09

72.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.13 ₹12.11

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.03 ₹193

20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.83 ₹269

27.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.59 ₹56.2

283.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.49 ₹46.39

275.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.77 ₹73.2

190.91%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$0.91 ₹86.7

154.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$2.84 ₹269

592.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.36 ₹224

54.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.15 ₹109

194.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.75 ₹71.4

118.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.56 ₹53.2

330.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.34 ₹31.97

497.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.37 ₹35.30

321.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.42 ₹39.59

257.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.34 ₹32.20

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.24 ₹22.82

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.40 ₹418

1.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.43 ₹800

123.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.71 ₹162

4.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.25 ₹214

22.22%

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

$5.94 ₹564

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.28 ₹26.49

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$8.81 ₹836

30.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.79 ₹75.2

294.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.22 ₹20.76

354.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.54 ₹146

814.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.07 ₹102

26.17%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$12.9K ₹1.2M

110.41%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.8K ₹1.9M

66.55%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$41.66 ₹3,955

200.00%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.88 ₹368

249.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$7.29 ₹692

154.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$16.18 ₹1,536

279.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.87 ₹652

145.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.60 ₹531

64.11%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$65.1 ₹6,179

972.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,089 ₹103.4K

1331.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$22.17 ₹2,105

160.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$28.82 ₹2,736

22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$47.32 ₹4,492

139.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$42.71 ₹4,055

102.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$124 ₹11.8K

397.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$77.3 ₹7,341

476.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$275 ₹26.1K

645.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$184 ₹17.4K

712.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,065 ₹101.1K

254.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$558 ₹52.9K

375.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$427 ₹40.6K

22.61%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Mandi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $124 in Mandi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Mandi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $88.0 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 234% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $368 including rent). Mandi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 23% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $124 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 $9.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $368 in Mandi versus $1,232 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 234% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.