Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Msaken Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Msaken

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $666 in Msaken.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,052 in Msaken.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,437 in Msaken.

Living in Phuket is roughly 90% more expensive than in Msaken, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Msaken 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$5.11 TND 14.74

-8.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$22.13 TND 63.9

45.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.23 TND 17.97

39.33%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.12 TND 3.22

158.93%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.78 TND 2.26

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.40 TND 1.15

22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.67 TND 4.81

48.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.19 TND 6.31

70.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.48 TND 1.38

293.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.32 TND 0.93

340.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.74 TND 5.01

-6.90%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.71 TND 4.93

30.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$13.88 TND 40.04

42.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.78 TND 16.69

-39.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$14.49 TND 41.82

-21.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.08 TND 6.00

39.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$3.71 TND 10.72

-53.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.21 TND 3.48

87.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.81 TND 2.33

162.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.82 TND 2.37

79.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.66 TND 1.91

115.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.46 TND 1.34

139.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.31 TND 0.89

93.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.86 TND 11.15

11.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.88 TND 16.98

216.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.97 TND 2.79

85.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.34 TND 3.86

121.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.33 TND 0.95

581.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.35 TND 1.00

785.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.33 TND 0.95

227.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$4.07 TND 11.73

-4.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.89 TND 2.57

60.67%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$40.4K TND 116.6K

-31.22%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$36.8K TND 106.2K

-26.67%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$69.2 TND 200

51.36%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$9.34 TND 26.96

21.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$20.89 TND 60.3

-16.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$21.46 TND 61.9

153.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.11 TND 17.63

27.33%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$97.8 TND 282

489.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$3,120 TND 9,002

271.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$47.64 TND 137

33.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$65.8 TND 190

-55.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$118 TND 340

-18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$86.9 TND 251

3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$113 TND 326

548.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$96.1 TND 277

420.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$209 TND 603

917.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$153 TND 441

719.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$245 TND 706

107.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.28

-45.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Msaken: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $113 in Msaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 108% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Msaken for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $206 per month, with Msaken 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 Msaken: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Msaken is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 108% higher in Phuket, 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: $733 in Phuket versus $113 in Msaken. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $97.8 in Msaken. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Msaken – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $666 in Msaken versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Msaken but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Msaken the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Msaken 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 Msaken 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 Msaken gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.