Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maseru Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maseru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $681 in Maseru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,098 in Maseru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Maseru.

Living in Phuket is roughly 86% more expensive than Maseru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Maseru 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$11.24 LSL 183

-58.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$24.79 LSL 404

83.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$10.96 LSL 179

-23.08%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.76 LSL 28.62

66.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.32 LSL 21.60

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.75 LSL 12.21

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.95 LSL 31.73

23.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.22 LSL 36.13

67.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.99 LSL 16.19

125.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.71 LSL 11.61

157.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.18 LSL 35.55

-0.46%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.37 LSL 22.41

61.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.17 LSL 117

175.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.56 LSL 90.6

-34.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.71 LSL 93.0

136.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.66 LSL 27.14

97.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.10 LSL 34.27

-23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.53 LSL 41.31

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.18 LSL 35.52

-4.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.49 LSL 24.23

2.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.51 LSL 24.67

-1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.37 LSL 22.26

-27.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.78 LSL 12.77

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.85 LSL 79.1

-9.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.26 LSL 118

166.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.96 LSL 15.70

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.44 LSL 23.44

88.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.70 LSL 11.37

95.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$28.09 LSL 458

-59.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.64 LSL 10.51

371.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.61 LSL 10.01

62.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.04 LSL 164

40.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.14 LSL 18.63

19.30%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$20.0K LSL 325.5K

41.24%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$15.3K LSL 249.8K

114.68%

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

$122 ฿3,975

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

$13.57 ฿443

$13.60 LSL 222

-0.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$31.41 LSL 512

-41.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$21.63 LSL 353

178.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$48.66 LSL 793

1325.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,124 LSL 18.3K

1296.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$43.80 LSL 714

35.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$39.16 LSL 638

-11.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$98.9 LSL 1,611

15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$139 LSL 2,268

-40.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$140 LSL 2,279

338.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$72.5 LSL 1,181

503.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$396 LSL 6,458

428.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$157 LSL 2,561

860.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$386 LSL 6,296

870.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$528 LSL 8,605

395.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$643 LSL 10.5K

-20.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.5

-37.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Maseru: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $140 in Maseru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maseru pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Maseru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $184 per month, with Maseru cheaper across the board.

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 Maseru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Maseru differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $681 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Maseru earns 26% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $140 in Maseru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Maseru – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $681 in Maseru – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $681 in Maseru versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maseru but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Maseru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Maseru 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 Maseru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.