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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $672 in Msaken.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,076 in Msaken.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,480 in Msaken.

Living in Phuket is roughly 86% more expensive than in Msaken, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.01 TND 14.66

-9.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$23.30 TND 68.2

98.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.97 TND 14.55

77.87%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.02 TND 2.99

200.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.70 TND 2.04

4.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.29 TND 0.84

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.22 TND 3.58

99.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.64 TND 7.71

43.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.50 TND 1.47

352.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.16 TND 0.46

1031.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.30 TND 3.80

73.08%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.67 TND 4.90

34.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$12.14 TND 35.51

60.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.19 TND 18.10

-41.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$14.04 TND 41.09

-7.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.00 TND 5.87

61.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$3.15 TND 9.21

-48.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.16 TND 3.40

105.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.75 TND 2.19

170.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.71 TND 2.07

115.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.58 TND 1.70

158.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.43 TND 1.27

127.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.31 TND 0.91

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.29 TND 9.64

34.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.02 TND 17.60

204.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.15 TND 3.36

61.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.40 TND 4.09

91.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.35 TND 1.03

302.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$10.00 TND 29.25

17.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.31 TND 0.91

903.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.33 TND 0.97

215.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$3.49 TND 10.21

304.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.87 TND 2.55

50.57%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$41.2K TND 120.5K

-32.47%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$35.6K TND 104.1K

-6.61%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$57.8 TND 169

111.72%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.77 TND 28.58

39.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$18.81 TND 55.1

-0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$23.44 TND 68.6

158.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$12.89 TND 37.71

31.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.50 TND 16.09

64.91%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$106 TND 312

563.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,182 TND 9,309

396.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.28 TND 124

38.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$61.4 TND 180

-42.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$102 TND 298

13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$79.1 TND 231

5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$195 TND 571

220.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$133 TND 389

234.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$381 TND 1,116

434.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$269 TND 788

454.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,043 TND 3,053

233.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$632 TND 1,849

307.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$245 TND 716

104.32%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Msaken: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $195 in Msaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 104% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Msaken for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $195 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 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 104% 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: $626 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 17% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $106 in Msaken. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $672 in Msaken versus $1,250 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 86% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.