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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $362 in Mandi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $578 in Mandi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $795 in Mandi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 249% more expensive than Mandi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Mandi 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.18 ₹112

286.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$9.48 ₹901

391.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$3.99 ₹380

112.28%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$0.95 ₹90.4

218.95%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.44 ₹41.44

56.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.12 ₹11.71

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.96 ₹187

27.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.00 ₹285

22.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.60 ₹57.4

263.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.46 ₹43.66

313.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.71 ₹67.9

209.86%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$0.86 ₹81.4

158.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$2.82 ₹268

608.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.26 ₹215

61.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.19 ₹113

171.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.70 ₹66.7

142.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.56 ₹53.2

326.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.33 ₹31.72

530.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.34 ₹32.69

367.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.41 ₹39.35

260.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.34 ₹31.94

202.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.24 ₹22.84

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.29 ₹408

-0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.61 ₹819

118.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.69 ₹160

4.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.35 ₹223

17.45%

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

$5.74 ₹545

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.30 ₹28.74

353.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$8.65 ₹822

31.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.79 ₹75.0

297.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.24 ₹22.85

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$1.52 ₹145

805.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.08 ₹102

24.07%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$12.6K ₹1.2M

119.50%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.3K ₹1.9M

67.22%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$41.16 ₹3,914

200.27%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$3.81 ₹362

254.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$7.61 ₹723

145.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$16.22 ₹1,542

281.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$7.21 ₹685

139.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.62 ₹535

62.63%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$65.7 ₹6,245

969.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,114 ₹105.9K

1324.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$21.93 ₹2,085

171.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$28.64 ₹2,724

22.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$46.73 ₹4,444

146.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$43.35 ₹4,123

93.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$123 ₹11.7K

403.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$75.0 ₹7,132

476.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$276 ₹26.2K

647.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$177 ₹16.8K

752.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,060 ₹100.8K

243.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$550 ₹52.3K

377.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$423 ₹40.2K

19.96%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mandi: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $123 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Mandi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 249% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $362 including rent). Mandi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 20% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $123 in Mandi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 236% 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 $362 in Mandi versus $1,261 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 249% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.