Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Monastir Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Monastir

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $659 in Monastir.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,083 in Monastir.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,507 in Monastir.

Living in Phuket is roughly 87% more expensive than Monastir, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Monastir 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.99 TND 11.52

16.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$23.53 TND 68.0

99.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.98 TND 14.38

77.51%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$0.91 TND 2.63

229.67%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.73 TND 2.11

1.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.29 TND 0.83

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.72 TND 4.99

41.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.84 TND 5.33

96.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.46 TND 1.33

391.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.15 TND 0.45

1126.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.81 TND 5.24

23.76%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.49 TND 4.30

55.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.16 TND 35.14

61.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.75 TND 16.62

-36.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.69 TND 39.58

-4.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.58 TND 4.57

114.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$3.15 TND 9.11

-47.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.96 TND 2.78

151.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.76 TND 2.21

167.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.70 TND 2.03

122.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.58 TND 1.68

158.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.46 TND 1.33

121.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.29 TND 0.83

68.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.46 TND 9.99

28.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.10 TND 14.74

270.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.19 TND 3.45

49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.36 TND 3.92

102.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.38 TND 1.10

268.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$11.17 TND 32.29

2.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.32 TND 0.93

875.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.31 TND 0.89

222.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.31 TND 9.55

325.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.84 TND 2.42

60.71%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$40.0K TND 115.6K

-32.07%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$36.1K TND 104.2K

-8.69%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$57.5 TND 166

117.28%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.25 TND 29.62

32.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$18.66 TND 53.9

-0.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$20.43 TND 59.0

200.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$6.81 TND 19.70

147.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.55 TND 16.03

65.59%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$105 TND 305

562.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,182 TND 9,197

389.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$46.15 TND 133

25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$60.1 TND 174

-41.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$114 TND 329

-0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$83.4 TND 241

3.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$207 TND 597

198.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$133 TND 384

235.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$476 TND 1,376

330.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$276 TND 797

440.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,273 TND 3,680

196.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$633 TND 1,828

318.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$357 TND 1,032

46.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-51.55%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Monastir: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $207 in Monastir. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 47% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Monastir for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $188 per month, with Monastir 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 Monastir: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monastir is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 47% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $207 in Monastir. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $659 in Monastir – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Monastir runs roughly 3% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $659 in Monastir versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Monastir but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Monastir the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Monastir is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Monastir 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 Monastir gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.