Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mui Ne Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mui Ne

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $732 in Mui Ne.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,181 in Mui Ne.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,631 in Mui Ne.

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than Mui Ne, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Mui Ne 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$1.90 ₫50.0K

147.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$20.84 ₫547.7K

117.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.62 ₫121.4K

82.47%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.71 ₫45.0K

71.35%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.50 ₫13.2K

38.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.28 ₫7,336

32.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.95 ₫24.9K

153.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.56 ₫41.0K

138.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.41 ₫37.1K

58.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.93 ₫24.5K

96.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.02 ₫26.7K

112.75%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.45 ₫38.1K

52.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.70 ₫307.5K

68.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.60 ₫94.6K

0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.93 ₫260.8K

36.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.72 ₫71.5K

20.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.05 ₫27.7K

53.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.30 ₫34.1K

85.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.13 ₫29.6K

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.07 ₫28.1K

42.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.05 ₫27.6K

40.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.65 ₫17.1K

52.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.52 ₫13.7K

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.31 ₫34.3K

236.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.55 ₫303.5K

67.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.79 ₫20.7K

125.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.59 ₫41.8K

70.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.34 ₫9,056

302.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$6.59 ₫173.1K

72.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.68 ₫17.7K

344.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.66 ₫17.4K

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.76 ₫72.6K

410.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.90 ₫23.6K

51.11%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$35.0K ₫918.7M

-19.34%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.1K ₫842.3M

2.64%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$76.7 ₫2.0M

58.67%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$5.76 ₫151.5K

135.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$8.98 ₫235.9K

103.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$22.37 ₫587.7K

169.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.88 ₫207.0K

117.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.01 ₫79.1K

188.70%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$264 ₫6.9M

162.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$11.8K ₫310.2M

32.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$40.94 ₫1.1M

45.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$23.06 ₫605.8K

50.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$86.4 ₫2.3M

32.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$74.5 ₫2.0M

11.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$360 ₫9.5M

70.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$249 ₫6.5M

75.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$733 ₫19.3M

185.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$541 ₫14.2M

178.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,138 ₫56.2M

75.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,245 ₫32.7M

110.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.1

-41.43%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mui Ne: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $360 in Mui Ne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Mui Ne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $191 per month, with Mui Ne 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 Mui Ne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Mui Ne differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $732 including rent). Mui Ne is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,098 in Mui Ne to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $360 in Mui Ne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $264 in Mui Ne. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $732 in Mui Ne versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mui Ne but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mui Ne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mui Ne 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 Mui Ne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.