Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maseru

For one person, living is cheaper in Maseru: $669 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Maseru
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Maseru Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Maseru

🇱🇸 Lesotho

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Maseru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $669 in Maseru.

Phuket $1,208
Maseru $669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,123 in Maseru.

Phuket $2,027
Maseru $1,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,576 in Maseru.

Phuket $2,845
Maseru $1,576

Living in Phuket is roughly 81% more expensive than in Maseru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Maseru 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$8.87 LSL 146

-50.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$23.91 LSL 395

34.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.34 LSL 138

5.04%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.99 LSL 32.92

42.21%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.11 LSL 18.32

-18.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.88 LSL 14.55

-46.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.79 LSL 29.49

42.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.46 LSL 40.51

55.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.18 LSL 19.50

46.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$0.87 LSL 14.42

68.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.80 LSL 29.75

-16.11%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.53 LSL 25.27

41.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$6.55 LSL 108

200.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$6.15 LSL 101

-45.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$6.31 LSL 104

76.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.94 LSL 31.96

46.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$2.29 LSL 37.85

-25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.77 LSL 45.67

-20.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.39 LSL 39.48

-14.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.55 LSL 25.62

-6.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.67 LSL 27.53

-17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.55 LSL 25.50

-30.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.80 LSL 13.13

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.08 LSL 83.9

-16.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$7.24 LSL 119

156.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.04 LSL 17.18

71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.53 LSL 25.30

86.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.82 LSL 13.55

175.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$30.08 LSL 496

-26.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$0.75 LSL 12.43

301.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.70 LSL 11.52

51.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$3.69 LSL 60.9

4.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.32 LSL 21.71

9.85%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$21.2K LSL 349.9K

24.17%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$16.6K LSL 274.0K

62.24%

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

$14.55 LSL 240

-24.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$38.75 LSL 639

-55.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$23.08 LSL 381

126.08%

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

$52.7 LSL 870

954.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$1,219 LSL 20.1K

850.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$45.86 LSL 757

39.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$57.2 LSL 944

-49.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$104 LSL 1,714

-8.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$150 LSL 2,478

-41.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$92.8 LSL 1,531

694.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$56.7 LSL 935

716.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$444 LSL 7,330

371.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$170 LSL 2,800

607.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$391 LSL 6,453

791.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$527 LSL 8,696

378.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$622 LSL 10.3K

-19.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.5

-34.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Maseru: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Maseru

$57 8.5% 87.7% $406

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Maseru

$196 29.3% 27% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Maseru

$53 * 8% 57.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Maseru

$161 24% 29.3% $36

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Maseru

$142 21.2% 16.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Maseru

$23 * 3.5% 66% $45

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Maseru

$38 5.6% 4.6% $1.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $92.8 in Maseru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maseru pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Maseru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $196 per month, with Maseru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇸 Maseru

🕒 Local time

19:30 7:30 PM

14:30 2:30 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

227,880 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Lesotho Loti LSL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 LSL = 6.06 USD

100 LSL = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LSL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Lesotho Loti exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 LSL (100 LSL = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 LSL (100 LSL = 5.39 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Maseru 8,620 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Maseru

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 Maseru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Maseru differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,208 vs $669 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Maseru. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $92.8 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 $24.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $669 in Maseru – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $669 in Maseru versus $1,208 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 81% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.