Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quatre Bornes Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quatre Bornes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $809 in Quatre Bornes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,288 in Quatre Bornes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,767 in Quatre Bornes.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Quatre Bornes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Quatre Bornes 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.41 MUR 208

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$21.25 MUR 1,001

51.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.44 MUR 303

38.66%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.39 MUR 113

21.34%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.88 MUR 41.28

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.49 MUR 23.01

-2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.69 MUR 127

-12.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.30 MUR 156

12.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.31 MUR 61.5

42.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.50 MUR 23.69

194.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.15 MUR 54.0

34.78%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.94 MUR 91.6

8.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$2.91 MUR 137

573.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.80 MUR 179

-10.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.47 MUR 399

34.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.74 MUR 129

8.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.60 MUR 122

-35.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.44 MUR 67.9

53.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.00 MUR 142

-28.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.94 MUR 44.14

61.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.94 MUR 44.22

42.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.70 MUR 33.20

61.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.90 MUR 42.32

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.10 MUR 287

-30.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.51 MUR 401

124.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.63 MUR 76.9

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.26 MUR 107

23.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.73 MUR 34.29

205.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.35 MUR 205

-30.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$3.24 MUR 153

-68.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$20.85 MUR 983

-81.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.33 MUR 62.7

12.03%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$19.1K MUR 899.8K

39.23%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$28.1K MUR 1.3M

-3.71%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$31.75 MUR 1,497

222.74%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$10.51 MUR 495

7.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$29.29 MUR 1,380

-40.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$28.84 MUR 1,359

80.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$8.27 MUR 390

33.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$6.20 MUR 292

24.03%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$121 MUR 5,692

364.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,798 MUR 367.5K

47.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$77.4 MUR 3,649

-18.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$73.9 MUR 3,481

-60.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$119 MUR 5,606

-17.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$76.7 MUR 3,614

15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$324 MUR 15.3K

128.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$222 MUR 10.5K

117.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$655 MUR 30.9K

221.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$440 MUR 20.8K

178.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,128 MUR 53.1K

220.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$513 MUR 24.2K

-3.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Quatre Bornes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $324 in Quatre Bornes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quatre Bornes pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Quatre Bornes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $182 per month, with Quatre Bornes 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 Quatre Bornes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quatre Bornes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Quatre Bornes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $324 in Quatre Bornes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $121 in Quatre Bornes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quatre Bornes – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $809 in Quatre Bornes versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quatre Bornes but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quatre Bornes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quatre Bornes 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 Quatre Bornes 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 Quatre Bornes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.