Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maoming Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maoming

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Phuket vs $679 in Maoming, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $1,096 in Maoming, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Phuket vs $1,514 in Maoming, rent included.

Phuket costs about 84% more than Maoming, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Maoming are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 7% lower, Maoming 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$2.04 ¥13.95

125.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$21.26 ¥145

120.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$3.90 ¥26.65

123.08%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$2.97 ¥20.30

-1.68%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$0.46 ¥3.11

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.27 ¥1.83

48.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$0.93 ¥6.38

169.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.07 ¥14.17

83.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.58 ¥10.80

36.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.54 ¥10.51

22.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$0.92 ¥6.27

134.78%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$1.57 ¥10.75

41.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$13.04 ¥89.1

50.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$3.10 ¥21.18

22.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$10.39 ¥71.0

29.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.73 ¥11.83

88.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.26 ¥8.63

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.40 ¥9.57

65.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$1.08 ¥7.36

90.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$0.73 ¥4.97

120.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$0.91 ¥6.24

58.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.56 ¥3.83

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.54 ¥3.71

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$3.09 ¥21.09

45.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$10.19 ¥69.6

88.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$0.75 ¥5.14

142.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.60 ¥10.94

68.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.29 ¥2.00

375.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$17.00 ¥116

-30.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$1.41 ¥9.65

120.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.32 ¥2.22

212.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$6.57 ¥44.88

109.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.13 ¥7.74

15.04%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$19.5K ¥133.0K

40.52%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$16.5K ¥112.5K

100.48%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$45.91 ¥314

172.01%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$10.08 ¥68.8

36.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$11.42 ¥78.0

62.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$31.14 ¥213

94.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$13.97 ¥95.4

22.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$6.09 ¥41.59

47.95%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$340 ¥2,319

105.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$17.0K ¥116.3K

-5.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$43.12 ¥295

37.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$30.51 ¥208

14.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$70.9 ¥484

61.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$74.2 ¥507

15.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$283 ¥1,933

118.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$187 ¥1,278

133.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$599 ¥4,094

246.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$354 ¥2,415

326.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$2,989 ¥20.4K

25.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$2,139 ¥14.6K

25.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$1,012 ¥6,914

-47.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.87

37.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Maoming: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $283 in Maoming. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 92% higher in Maoming, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Phuket versus $21 in Maoming. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $194 – making Maoming the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Maoming: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 84%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,870 per month in Phuket and $1,018 in Maoming. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Maoming, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $21.00 in Maoming. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Maoming, where all-in costs run around $679, than in Phuket at $1,247. In Maoming it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Maoming – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Maoming. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.