Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Manta

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 Manta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $678 in Manta.

Phuket $1,207
Manta $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,157 in Manta.

Phuket $2,037
Manta $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,636 in Manta.

Phuket $2,867
Manta $1,636

Living in Phuket is roughly 78% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Manta 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$2.96 $2.96

54.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$52.2 $52.2

-37.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.39 $5.39

58.63%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.92 $2.92

-6.85%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.52 $0.52

80.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.38 $0.38

28.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.97 $2.97

-12.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.72 $3.72

2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.03 $1.03

68.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.91 $1.91

-25.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$0.98 $0.98

56.12%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.13 $2.13

1.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$2.98 $2.98

542.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$2.98 $2.98

10.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$6.83 $6.83

63.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$0.97 $0.97

204.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.78 $0.78

115.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.71 $0.71

223.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.78 $0.78

173.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.52 $0.52

194.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.48 $0.48

183.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.69 $0.69

62.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.99 $0.99

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.08 $4.08

4.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$6.89 $6.89

164.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.03 $1.03

68.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.20 $2.20

26.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.50 $0.50

344.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.70 $1.70

71.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.74 $1.74

-41.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$9.27 $9.27

-58.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.72 $0.72

106.94%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$20.7K $20.7K

29.10%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$30.8K $30.8K

-13.27%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$97.1 $97.1

2.31%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$11.13 $11.13

1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$25.84 $25.84

-32.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$20.23 $20.23

158.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$34.58 $34.58

-68.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$4.89 $4.89

54.81%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$369 $369

51.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$5,783 $5,783

98.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$55.2 $55.2

13.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$40.87 $40.87

-30.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$101 $101

-4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$61.8 $61.8

42.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$303 $303

140.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$141 $141

225.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$917 $917

128.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$334 $334

265.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$474 $474

4.09%

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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Manta

$141 20.9% 69.3% $319

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Manta

$143 21.1% 46.6% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Manta

$134 19.8% 4.8% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Manta

$116 17.2% 6.2% $7.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Manta

$101 14.9% 16.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Manta

$30 4.4% 55.5% $37

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Manta

$12 * 1.8% 68.2% $27

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $303 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 4% 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 $52.0 in Manta. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $143, with Manta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

23:47 11:47 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

217,553

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Manta 19,240 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $729 in Phuket versus $303 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $369 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Manta 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 Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.