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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $691 in Maoming, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,085 in Maoming, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,478 in Maoming, rent included.

Phuket costs about 83% more than Maoming, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Maoming are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Maoming 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$2.06 ¥13.93

128.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$21.17 ¥143

114.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.79 ¥25.64

122.43%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$3.06 ¥20.73

-4.25%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.42 ¥2.84

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.29 ¥1.98

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.94 ¥6.37

156.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.15 ¥14.52

73.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$1.59 ¥10.74

40.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.55 ¥10.45

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$0.97 ¥6.57

123.71%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.57 ¥10.65

40.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$12.93 ¥87.5

52.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.11 ¥21.04

16.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$10.05 ¥68.0

34.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.77 ¥11.98

85.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.21 ¥8.19

33.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.36 ¥9.23

77.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$1.09 ¥7.37

90.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.72 ¥4.85

112.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.92 ¥6.22

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.56 ¥3.80

76.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.55 ¥3.69

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.17 ¥21.44

39.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$11.10 ¥75.1

74.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.74 ¥5.03

140.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$1.59 ¥10.72

70.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.29 ¥1.98

372.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$16.67 ¥113

-31.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$1.41 ¥9.52

114.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$0.36 ¥2.41

175.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$6.74 ¥45.62

109.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.12 ¥7.59

21.43%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$19.1K ¥129.4K

47.38%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.8K ¥113.8K

95.56%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$45.09 ¥305

169.90%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$9.85 ¥66.6

37.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$11.41 ¥77.2

60.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$31.75 ¥215

89.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$14.14 ¥95.7

21.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$6.22 ¥42.08

39.71%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$333 ¥2,251

108.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$16.8K ¥113.4K

-6.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$42.74 ¥289

39.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$29.90 ¥202

16.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$72.2 ¥489

58.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$73.3 ¥496

13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$277 ¥1,871

121.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$188 ¥1,273

132.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$602 ¥4,071

247.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$355 ¥2,400

325.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$2,974 ¥20.1K

26.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,963 ¥13.3K

33.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$1,012 ¥6,846

-49.79%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Maoming: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $277 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 99% 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $21.00 in Maoming. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $195 – 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 83%, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,037 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 $45.00 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 $691, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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.