Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Masindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Masindi: $394 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Masindi
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Masindi Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Masindi

🇺🇬 Uganda

$394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Masindi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $394 in Masindi.

Phuket $1,294
Masindi $394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $621 in Masindi.

Phuket $2,204
Masindi $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $849 in Masindi.

Phuket $3,115
Masindi $849

Living in Phuket is roughly 229% more expensive than in Masindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Masindi 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$2.37 UGX 10.0K

85.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$23.57 UGX 99.4K

37.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$6.81 UGX 28.7K

27.75%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$2.46 UGX 10.4K

10.57%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$0.34 UGX 1,421

173.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$0.26 UGX 1,105

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$1.20 UGX 5,068

110.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$1.78 UGX 7,488

103.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$0.80 UGX 3,394

117.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$0.81 UGX 3,435

79.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.24 UGX 5,222

20.97%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.41 UGX 5,967

53.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$4.09 UGX 17.2K

366.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.32 UGX 18.2K

-21.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$4.57 UGX 19.3K

138.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$2.04 UGX 8,603

44.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.39 UGX 5,880

21.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$1.20 UGX 5,073

82.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$1.24 UGX 5,221

70.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$1.20 UGX 5,042

21.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$1.25 UGX 5,289

9.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$0.74 UGX 3,131

45.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$0.49 UGX 2,070

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.31 UGX 9,743

91.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$6.97 UGX 29.4K

161.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$1.00 UGX 4,238

77.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$1.77 UGX 7,475

62.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$0.49 UGX 2,051

208.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.28 UGX 1,172

178.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$2.84 UGX 12.0K

35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.41 UGX 5,940

5.67%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$6,986 UGX 29.5M

284.77%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$6,992 UGX 29.5M

276.79%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$67.4 UGX 284.4K

45.05%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$10.93 UGX 46.1K

3.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$33.25 UGX 140.2K

-48.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$7.08 UGX 29.9K

4.94%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$263 UGX 1.1M

101.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$16.0K UGX 67.5M

17.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$13.33 UGX 56.2K

362.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$12.33 UGX 52.0K

129.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$30.68 UGX 129.4K

212.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$40.51 UGX 170.8K

114.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.75

-73.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Masindi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Masindi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Masindi

$141 35.9% 47% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Masindi

$112 28.4% 11.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Masindi

$44 11.1% 64.5% $79

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Masindi

$81 20.6% 32.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Masindi

$14 * 3.6% 83% $69

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Masindi

$1.9 * 0.5% 97.2% $64

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $24 in Masindi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $141 per month, with Masindi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇬 Masindi

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

94,622

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 4,217 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.37 USD). 1 EUR = 4,748 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.11 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Masindi 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Masindi

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 Masindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masindi is about 70% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $590 in Masindi to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $394 in Masindi – Masindi is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $394 in Masindi versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Masindi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Masindi 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.