Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pathein

For one person, living is cheaper in Pathein: $1,019 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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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

Pathein

🇲🇲 Myanmar

$1,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pathein

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 Pathein actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,019 in Pathein.

Phuket $1,278
Pathein $1,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,843 in Pathein.

Phuket $2,216
Pathein $1,843

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,666 in Pathein.

Phuket $3,154
Pathein $2,666

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Pathein, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Pathein 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.54 MMK 3,223

190.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$20.05 MMK 42.0K

61.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.08 MMK 16.9K

9.03%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.53 MMK 3,210

84.97%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.52 MMK 1,098

67.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.52 MMK 1,092

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.53 MMK 3,211

67.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.02 MMK 2,129

260.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.52 MMK 3,178

-3.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.93 MMK 6,133

-48.81%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.39 MMK 5,000

-12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$40.69 MMK 85.2K

-53.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.91 MMK 12.4K

-44.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.98 MMK 16.7K

36.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$9.83 MMK 20.6K

-70.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$10.05 MMK 21.0K

-77.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.88 MMK 10.2K

-57.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$4.09 MMK 8,555

-63.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.96 MMK 4,102

-29.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.51 MMK 1,073

109.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.94 MMK 6,151

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$19.73 MMK 41.3K

-4.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.54 MMK 3,218

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.05 MMK 4,299

38.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.98 MMK 2,043

4.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.97 MMK 6,214

24.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.95 MMK 4,091

-24.62%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$32.3K MMK 67.7M

-17.15%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$31.4K MMK 65.7M

-14.96%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

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

$11.26 ฿380

$19.80 MMK 41.5K

-43.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$10.03 MMK 21.0K

68.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$151 MMK 315.1K

-55.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.03 MMK 4,247

269.46%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$395 MMK 827.0K

20.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$4,846 MMK 10.1M

132.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$19.85 MMK 41.6K

214.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$15.17 MMK 31.8K

87.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$49.73 MMK 104.1K

89.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$59.4 MMK 124.4K

44.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$406 MMK 850.2K

76.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$301 MMK 629.3K

63.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,079 MMK 2.3M

78.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,014 MMK 2.1M

41.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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 Pathein: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Pathein

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Pathein

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Pathein

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Pathein

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Pathein

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Pathein

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Pathein

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $406 in Pathein. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $20 in Pathein. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $395, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇲 Pathein

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

15:19 3:19 PM

30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

315,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Myanmar Kyat MMK K

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD

10,000 MMK = 4.28 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MMK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.65 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,336 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.28 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Pathein 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pathein

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 Pathein: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,019 in Pathein, so Pathein is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,528 in Pathein 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: $716 in Phuket versus $406 in Pathein. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $395 in Pathein. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pathein – a meal for two runs $20 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Pathein gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.