Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $468 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$468

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mary

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $468 in Mary.

Phuket $1,208
Mary $468

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $710 in Mary.

Phuket $2,027
Mary $710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $951 in Mary.

Phuket $2,845
Mary $951

Living in Phuket is roughly 158% more expensive than in Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Mary 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$11.49 TMT 38.59

-61.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.49 TMT 28.51

3.18%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$8.38 TMT 28.17

-66.23%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$12.61 TMT 42.36

-92.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.40 TMT 4.71

-66.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$14.55 TMT 48.90

-82.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$11.63 TMT 39.07

-67.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$2.91 TMT 9.78

-40.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$6.95 TMT 23.34

-68.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.22 TMT 7.45

28.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.45 TMT 4.88

41.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.95 TMT 6.56

-25.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.70 TMT 5.70

-18.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$1.16 TMT 3.88

-56.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$16.79 TMT 56.4

-74.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

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

$11.04 ฿369

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$212 TMT 712

136.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mary: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Mary

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Mary

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Mary

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Mary

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Mary

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Mary

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Mary

–

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 136% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇲 Mary

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

22:58 10:58 PM

2 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

123,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.265 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.78 TMT (1 TMT = 0.265 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mary 4,940 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mary wins on cost – living expenses run 158% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 173% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $468 in Mary – a 158% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $468 in Mary versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mary delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $468 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mary hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mary 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 Mary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.