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 $670 in Msaken.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,077 in Msaken.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,483 in Msaken.

Living in Phuket is roughly 89% more expensive than Msaken, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Msaken 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.96 TND 14.42

-5.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$24.14 TND 70.1

87.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.06 TND 14.69

66.60%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.02 TND 2.97

187.25%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.69 TND 2.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.29 TND 0.84

27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.17 TND 3.41

105.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.76 TND 8.01

34.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.49 TND 1.43

355.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.17 TND 0.48

976.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.29 TND 3.75

68.22%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.67 TND 4.86

32.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.06 TND 35.00

63.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.33 TND 18.37

-42.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.76 TND 39.95

-1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.09 TND 6.06

56.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$3.20 TND 9.30

-49.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.12 TND 3.26

115.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.75 TND 2.19

177.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.70 TND 2.02

118.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.59 TND 1.71

150.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.40 TND 1.17

147.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.29 TND 0.84

75.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.43 TND 9.96

28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$5.93 TND 17.23

226.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.15 TND 3.35

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.33 TND 3.86

103.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.35 TND 1.03

291.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$9.97 TND 28.96

14.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.31 TND 0.89

874.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.31 TND 0.89

219.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.49 TND 10.14

304.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.88 TND 2.56

54.55%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$40.0K TND 116.1K

-29.47%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$35.9K TND 104.1K

-8.27%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$58.2 TND 169

109.00%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.99 TND 28.99

35.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.91 TND 54.9

-3.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$23.79 TND 69.1

153.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$12.54 TND 36.42

36.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.32 TND 15.44

63.35%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$106 TND 308

554.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,137 TND 9,109

400.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$41.07 TND 119

44.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$60.7 TND 176

-42.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$101 TND 293

13.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$79.2 TND 230

5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$195 TND 566

214.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$136 TND 395

221.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$373 TND 1,083

461.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$269 TND 780

461.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$987 TND 2,866

279.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$715 TND 2,076

265.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$248 TND 719

105.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.96

-51.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Msaken: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $195 in Msaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 105% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Msaken for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $194 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 105% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $195 in Msaken. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Msaken runs roughly 14% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $106 in Msaken. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $670 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 89% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.