Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mayari Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mayari

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,534 in Mayari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,908 in Mayari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,283 in Mayari.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in Mayari, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Mayari is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$6.04 CUP 145

-25.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$19.92 CUP 478

134.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$6.56 CUP 157

29.42%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.32 CUP 31.59

133.33%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$2.16 CUP 51.8

-68.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.22 CUP 29.33

-70.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.43 CUP 58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$3.05 CUP 73.1

19.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$2.87 CUP 69.0

-23.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$0.83 CUP 19.91

118.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.44 CUP 58.6

-8.61%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$3.20 CUP 76.9

-30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$5.78 CUP 139

239.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$5.38 CUP 129

-30.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$11.93 CUP 286

12.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$5.09 CUP 122

-33.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.18 CUP 28.34

37.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.43 CUP 34.21

68.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.41 CUP 33.83

41.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.87 CUP 44.84

-18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$2.92 CUP 70.0

-50.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.03 CUP 24.65

-1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.07 CUP 25.74

-55.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.60 CUP 86.3

18.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$9.93 CUP 238

92.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.72 CUP 41.37

6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.91 CUP 45.81

43.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.23 CUP 5.40

517.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$20.04 CUP 481

-41.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.29 CUP 55.0

31.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.38 CUP 9.13

176.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$20.28 CUP 487

-31.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.26 CUP 30.26

2.38%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$71.3K CUP 1.7M

-60.69%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$78.5K CUP 1.9M

-57.33%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$35.66 CUP 856

242.06%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$39.61 CUP 951

-64.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$251 CUP 6,031

-92.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$39.64 CUP 951

54.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$15.03 CUP 361

12.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$1.01 CUP 24.31

780.20%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$115 CUP 2,768

499.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$17.4K CUP 417.3K

-7.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$55.7 CUP 1,337

3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$39.70 CUP 953

-10.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$45.03 CUP 1,081

151.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$50.0 CUP 1,201

65.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$215 CUP 5,155

182.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$661 CUP 15.9K

-32.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$385 CUP 9,234

427.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$681 CUP 16.3K

119.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$401 CUP 9,630

793.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$344 CUP 8,251

651.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$21.57 CUP 518

2240.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Mayari: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $215 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2240% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Mayari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $246 per month, with Mayari 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 Mayari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Mayari. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 2240% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $215 in Mayari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,223 per month in Phuket versus $1,534 in Mayari – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,534 in Mayari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mayari. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mayari 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.