Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manzini

For one person, living is cheaper in Manzini: $359 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Manzini

🇸🇿 Eswatini

$359

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Manzini

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $359 in Manzini, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Manzini $359

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $383 in Manzini, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Manzini $383

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $406 in Manzini, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Manzini $406

Phuket costs about 260% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Manzini are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Manzini 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.27 SZL 21.08

37.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$0.89 SZL 14.81

62.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.75 SZL 29.15

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.17 SZL 19.45

85.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$7.14 SZL 119

167.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$2.96 SZL 49.35

14.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$1.77 SZL 29.41

515.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$1.37 SZL 22.84

114.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.63 SZL 10.46

168.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$0.76 SZL 12.67

188.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$0.49 SZL 8.18

332.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$0.61 SZL 10.19

139.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$0.46 SZL 7.71

197.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$0.40 SZL 6.69

170.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.63 SZL 10.48

-12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.96 SZL 49.31

49.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$3.32 SZL 55.3

449.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$0.58 SZL 9.65

205.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$0.79 SZL 13.16

264.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$0.62 SZL 10.29

133.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.33 SZL 22.20

12.03%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$16.7K SZL 277.5K

61.27%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$15.6K SZL 259.3K

69.20%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$72.2 SZL 1,202

35.49%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$12.21 SZL 203

-7.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$29.64 SZL 494

-42.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$3.65 SZL 60.8

103.56%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$177 SZL 2,949

307.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$121 SZL 2,020

319.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$482 SZL 8,018

2.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manzini: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Manzini

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Manzini

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Manzini

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Manzini

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Manzini

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Manzini

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Manzini

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $177 in Manzini. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇿 Manzini

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

01:22 1:22 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

110,508

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Eswatini Lilangeni SZL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 SZL = 6.01 USD

100 SZL = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SZL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Eswatini Lilangeni exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.65 SZL (100 SZL = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.62 SZL (100 SZL = 5.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Manzini 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Phuket
Manzini

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 Manzini: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 260% more than Manzini, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $539 in Manzini. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Manzini, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $359 in Manzini. That makes Manzini about 72% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 134% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Manzini, where all-in costs run around $359, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Manzini it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $359 in Manzini to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.