Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mersa Matruh Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mersa Matruh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $465 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $755 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,291 per month in Phuket vs $1,045 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Phuket costs about 171% more than Mersa Matruh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Mersa Matruh are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Mersa Matruh 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$3.64 E£187

24.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,562

$15.51 E£796

198.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$4.54 E£233

90.53%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$1.43 E£73.4

116.08%

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

$0.68 ฿22.85

$0.31 E£16.14

119.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.41

$0.12 E£5.92

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.4

$1.21 E£62.0

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$3.01 E£154

26.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$0.81 E£41.68

169.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.2

$0.74 E£37.89

145.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.3

$0.66 E£33.97

230.30%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.3

$1.44 E£73.7

55.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿671

$3.85 E£197

417.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$4.33 E£222

-15.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$9.45 E£485

43.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$1.43 E£73.4

130.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$0.54 E£27.72

212.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.6

$0.42 E£21.63

454.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$0.36 E£18.54

463.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$0.40 E£20.64

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$0.41 E£20.82

263.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.11

$0.22 E£11.22

359.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.21 E£10.75

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$1.94 E£99.5

129.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$5.77 E£296

222.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.36 E£69.7

31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.2

$2.56 E£132

9.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.81

$0.20 E£10.14

610.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$0.52 E£26.87

494.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

$0.46 E£23.66

126.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$2.02 E£104

574.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.15

$0.33 E£16.93

296.97%

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

$27.3K ฿919.1K

$35.2K E£1.8M

-22.44%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.2K E£1.7M

0.14%

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

$123 ฿4,149

$11.34 E£582

986.07%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$5.61 E£288

146.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$10.20 E£523

81.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,034

$22.52 E£1,155

168.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$3.03 E£155

193.40%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$89.0 E£4,567

671.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿523.9K

$1,816 E£93.2K

756.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,942

$27.46 E£1,409

109.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$48.58 E£2,492

-28.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,872

$110 E£5,649

4.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,860

$50.0 E£2,566

69.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$187 E£9,574

230.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$101 E£5,157

340.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$313 E£16.0K

554.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.7K

$178 E£9,106

748.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.2K

$893 E£45.8K

299.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$405 E£20.8K

520.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$99.2 E£5,090

406.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-68.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $618 in Phuket versus $187 in Mersa Matruh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 407% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Mersa Matruh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $128 – making Mersa Matruh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mersa Matruh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 171% more than Mersa Matruh, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Phuket and $698 in Mersa Matruh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mersa Matruh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $16.00 in Mersa Matruh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 127% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mersa Matruh, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Mersa Matruh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mersa Matruh costs $465 versus $1,261 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mersa Matruh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.