Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mawlamyine

For one person, living is cheaper in Mawlamyine: $657 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Mawlamyine
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Mawlamyine Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Mawlamyine

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$657

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mawlamyine

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $657 in Mawlamyine, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Mawlamyine $657

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $960 in Mawlamyine, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Mawlamyine $960

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,264 in Mawlamyine, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Mawlamyine $1,264

Phuket costs about 97% more than Mawlamyine, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Mawlamyine are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Mawlamyine 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$2.02 MMK 4,233

117.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$5.04 MMK 10.6K

72.62%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$0.98 MMK 2,056

177.55%

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

$0.93 ฿31.38

$0.52 MMK 1,098

78.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$1.52 MMK 3,182

138.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$0.86 MMK 1,791

102.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.52 MMK 1,078

178.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$2.98 MMK 6,238

-27.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$8.41 MMK 17.6K

126.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$2.08 MMK 4,365

63.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$3.75 MMK 7,841

190.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$1.60 MMK 3,344

83.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.87 MMK 1,829

94.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$1.72 MMK 3,602

27.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.6

$2.75 MMK 5,758

-22.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.19

$1.54 MMK 3,228

-5.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.14

$0.37 MMK 769

270.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.29

$1.54 MMK 3,229

-29.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.40

$0.21 MMK 439

161.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.23 MMK 2,573

43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$1.82 MMK 3,811

58.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$1.47 MMK 3,084

-1.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,851

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.95 MMK 4,081

-22.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.17

$2.55 MMK 5,330

-69.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.78 MMK 3,723

-16.29%

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

$26.9K ฿906.7K

$49.7K MMK 104.1M

-45.95%

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

$26.3K ฿888.6K

$34.4K MMK 72.1M

-23.50%

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

$97.8 ฿3,299

$76.3 MMK 159.6K

28.28%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$25.08 MMK 52.5K

-54.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$49.12 MMK 102.9K

-65.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$122 MMK 255.5K

-44.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$5.13 MMK 10.7K

112.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$9.87 MMK 20.7K

-24.72%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$501 MMK 1.0M

5.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.5K

$8,850 MMK 18.5M

112.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,080

$39.57 MMK 82.8K

55.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$35.48 MMK 74.3K

-20.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,238

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,928

$23.60 MMK 49.4K

267.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$254 MMK 532.2K

183.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$121 MMK 253.3K

320.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$594 MMK 1.2M

228.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$252 MMK 527.1K

454.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$807 MMK 1.7M

419.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$493 MMK 1.0M

568.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Mawlamyine: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Mawlamyine

$121 18.4% 76.2% $388

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Mawlamyine

$130 * 19.8% 51.2% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Mawlamyine

$150 22.9% 19.1% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Mawlamyine

$44 * 6.8% 63.8% $78

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Mawlamyine

$48 * 7.3% 59.7% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Mawlamyine

$142 21.6% 70.4% $59

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Mawlamyine

$21 * 3.1% 68.9% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $254 in Mawlamyine. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇲 Mawlamyine

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

00:46 12:46 AM

30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

300,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,347 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.26 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Mawlamyine 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mawlamyine

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 Mawlamyine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 97% more than Mawlamyine, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $985 in Mawlamyine. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mawlamyine, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $657 in Mawlamyine. That makes Mawlamyine about 49% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 105% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mawlamyine, where all-in costs run around $657, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Mawlamyine it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mawlamyine – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.