Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Masaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Masaya

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $719 in Masaya, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,155 in Masaya, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $1,592 in Masaya, rent included.

Phuket costs about 74% more than Masaya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both Phuket and Masaya are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Masaya 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.87 NIO 178

-6.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$34.82 NIO 1,275

32.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$7.08 NIO 259

24.86%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.39 NIO 87.5

28.03%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.79 NIO 28.78

-7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.76 NIO 27.65

-47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.35 NIO 49.32

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.02 NIO 74.0

87.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.27 NIO 46.52

77.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.46 NIO 89.9

-26.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.82 NIO 66.6

23.63%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.23 NIO 81.7

0.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$11.14 NIO 408

75.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.77 NIO 248

-46.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.88 NIO 289

65.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.93 NIO 144

-17.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.89 NIO 32.74

82.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.76 NIO 64.6

35.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.19 NIO 80.2

-7.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$3.95 NIO 145

-61.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.24 NIO 81.9

-33.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.06 NIO 38.81

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.06 NIO 38.70

-50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.63 NIO 96.3

68.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$14.63 NIO 536

25.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.42 NIO 52.0

30.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.17 NIO 79.5

23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.46 NIO 53.5

113.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.63 NIO 243

112.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.30 NIO 47.49

0.77%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$22.6K NIO 827.8K

23.07%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.5K NIO 970.1K

25.40%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$97.0 NIO 3,552

26.24%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$16.99 NIO 622

-20.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$37.80 NIO 1,384

-50.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$8.23 NIO 301

10.21%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$122 NIO 4,474

478.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,919 NIO 216.8K

167.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$76.6 NIO 2,805

-23.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$73.1 NIO 2,675

-51.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$133 NIO 4,878

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$109 NIO 3,996

-23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.25

-48.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Masaya: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Masaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $261 – making Masaya 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 Masaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 74%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,078 in Masaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $35.00 in Masaya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Masaya, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Masaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Masaya – 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 Masaya. 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.