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 $476 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $752 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,028 in Mersa Matruh, rent included.

Phuket costs about 165% 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

$4.56 ฿150

$3.64 E£189

25.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,533

$15.86 E£825

194.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿278

$4.72 E£245

79.45%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.5

$1.51 E£78.5

100.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.65

$0.29 E£15.04

137.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.03

$0.12 E£6.21

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.8

$1.22 E£63.6

104.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿120

$3.05 E£158

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.7

$0.87 E£45.21

150.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.5

$0.72 E£37.60

163.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.3

$0.71 E£36.67

209.86%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.1

$1.46 E£75.8

52.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿657

$3.95 E£206

406.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿120

$4.46 E£232

-17.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿436

$9.72 E£505

36.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿106

$1.42 E£73.6

127.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.8

$0.54 E£28.03

214.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.7

$0.43 E£22.31

455.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$0.37 E£19.14

462.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.3

$0.38 E£19.65

318.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.76

$0.40 E£20.88

270.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.85

$0.24 E£12.55

329.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.99

$0.18 E£9.40

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$2.02 E£105

110.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿618

$5.73 E£298

227.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.8

$1.34 E£69.9

31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.6

$2.67 E£139

3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.73

$0.17 E£9.06

700.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿103

$0.53 E£27.54

492.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.05

$0.43 E£22.13

141.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿452

$2.00 E£104

588.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.20

$0.33 E£17.23

306.06%

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

$27.7K ฿909.7K

$35.4K E£1.8M

-21.85%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.4K E£1.7M

1.25%

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

$124 ฿4,062

$11.36 E£591

987.94%

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

$13.52 ฿444

$5.80 E£301

133.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿614

$9.94 E£517

88.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,032

$22.08 E£1,148

179.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿300

$2.93 E£152

211.95%

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

$703 ฿23.1K

$88.8 E£4,619

691.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿521.7K

$1,820 E£94.6K

772.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,955

$27.94 E£1,453

112.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,153

$49.40 E£2,569

-29.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,789

$107 E£5,586

7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,763

$50.1 E£2,603

67.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.3K

$192 E£9,982

222.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.2K

$98.0 E£5,093

341.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.8K

$312 E£16.2K

560.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.7K

$178 E£9,236

750.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿119.8K

$706 E£36.7K

416.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.3K

$356 E£18.5K

637.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$95.8 E£4,980

429.39%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mersa Matruh: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $192 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 429% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in Mersa Matruh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $130 – 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 165% 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 $1,892 per month in Phuket and $714 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 $47.00 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 125% 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 $476, 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 $476 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.