Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manglaralto

For one person, living is cheaper in Manglaralto: $869 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Manglaralto, Ecuador
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Manglaralto
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$869
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Manglaralto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Manglaralto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $869 in Manglaralto, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Manglaralto $869

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,430 in Manglaralto, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Manglaralto $1,430

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,991 in Manglaralto, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Manglaralto $1,991

Phuket costs about 49% more than Manglaralto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Manglaralto are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Manglaralto 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Manglaralto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$3.93 $3.93
11.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,090
$53.1 $53.1
-39.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿294
$9.10 $9.10
-4.40%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.9
$2.94 $2.94
-7.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.39
$0.91 $0.91
2.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.85
$0.67 $0.67
-25.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$2.94 $2.94
-13.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$4.17 $4.17
-12.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Manglaralto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$1.23 $1.23
41.46%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.95
$2.00 $2.00
-27.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.42 $1.42
5.63%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$2.13 $2.13
1.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿644
$6.86 $6.86
178.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$5.07 $5.07
-32.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿368
$8.91 $8.91
22.33%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.2
$1.54 $1.54
90.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.20 $1.20
40.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$0.98 $0.98
123.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.7
$0.96 $0.96
120.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.21
$1.23 $1.23
18.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.15
$0.92 $0.92
48.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.30
$0.81 $0.81
33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.41
$0.95 $0.95
-42.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$6.11 $6.11
-27.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿616
$12.03 $12.03
51.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$1.49 $1.49
18.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.2
$2.20 $2.20
30.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Manglaralto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.84
$0.37 $0.37
291.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,852
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.82 $2.82
-46.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.18
$1.71 $1.71
-54.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿130
$12.04 $12.04
-68.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$0.83 $0.83
79.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿907.0K
$23.3K $23.3K
15.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.9K
$31.4K $31.4K
-15.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Manglaralto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,300
$34.25 $34.25
185.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$9.93 $9.93
13.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿580
$26.19 $26.19
-34.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Manglaralto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,305
$29.41 $29.41
132.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
$16.38 $16.38
-33.33%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿251
$7.48 $7.48
-0.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Manglaralto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$372 $372
42.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿633.7K
$5,787 $5,787
224.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Manglaralto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,081
$66.6 $66.6
-7.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿953
$39.86 $39.86
-29.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,239
$124 $124
-22.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,929
$93.6 $93.6
-7.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Manglaralto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$428 $428
68.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$274 $274
85.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.8K
$821 $821
137.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$508 $508
175.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Manglaralto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.05
-44.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manglaralto: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Manglaralto
$274 46.2% $235
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Manglaralto
$199 25.5% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Manglaralto
$70 44.3% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Manglaralto
$146 18.8% $23
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Manglaralto
$123 3.2% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Manglaralto
$44 46.6% $39
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Manglaralto
$13 * 80.5% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $428 in Manglaralto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $53 in Manglaralto. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $199 in Manglaralto – so Manglaralto wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇪🇨 Manglaralto
🕒 Local time
00:05 12:05 AM
12:05 12:05 PM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Manglaralto 19,340 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Manglaralto

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Manglaralto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Manglaralto cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $1,304 in Manglaralto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Manglaralto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $428 there versus $721 in Phuket.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Manglaralto?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $53 in Manglaralto. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Manglaralto?
Groceries cost about 34% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Manglaralto?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Manglaralto, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Manglaralto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Manglaralto more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Manglaralto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Manglaralto?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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