Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mwanza

For one person, living is cheaper in Mwanza: $185 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mwanza

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mwanza

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Mwanza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $185 in Mwanza, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Mwanza $185

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $291 in Mwanza, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Mwanza $291

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $396 in Mwanza, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Mwanza $396

Phuket costs about 591% more than Mwanza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Mwanza are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Mwanza 86% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.41 TZS 6,302

85.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$15.09 TZS 39.4K

114.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.45 TZS 11.6K

97.98%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.57 TZS 6,712

10.12%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.27 TZS 695

81.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$0.96 TZS 2,517

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.28 TZS 3,346

187.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.91 TZS 2,375

82.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.55 TZS 4,059

-5.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.98 TZS 2,566

53.06%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.05 TZS 5,354

1.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.96 TZS 2,518

57.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.33 TZS 3,477

3.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.40 TZS 1,034

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.53 TZS 3,992

-3.92%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$65.9 TZS 172.0K

46.27%

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$190 TZS 495.4K

164.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mwanza: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mwanza

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mwanza

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mwanza

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mwanza

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mwanza

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mwanza

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mwanza

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Phuket are about 2.6 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $15 in Mwanza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $47 – making Mwanza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇿 Mwanza

🕒 Local time

05:54 5:54 AM

01:54 1:54 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,104,521

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 2,611 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.83 USD). 1 EUR = 2,907 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.44 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Mwanza 7,350 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mwanza

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mwanza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 591%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $277 in Mwanza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 466% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $15 in Mwanza. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mwanza, where all-in costs run around $185, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Mwanza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $185 in Mwanza to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Mwanza. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.