Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Safi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Safi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $600 in Safi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $933 in Safi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,266 in Safi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 105% more expensive than in Safi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Safi 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.24 MAD 30.70

36.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$21.04 MAD 200

53.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.86 MAD 46.10

83.74%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.56 MAD 14.83

85.90%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.61 MAD 5.81

44.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.37 MAD 3.55

29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.55 MAD 14.71

51.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.60 MAD 15.21

132.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.88 MAD 8.39

112.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.47 MAD 4.46

212.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.59 MAD 15.11

-2.52%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.82 MAD 17.23

15.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.14 MAD 67.7

174.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$6.55 MAD 62.1

-47.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$8.88 MAD 84.2

28.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.19 MAD 11.28

150.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.13 MAD 10.67

48.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.84 MAD 7.94

163.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.72 MAD 6.83

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.62 MAD 5.85

145.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.77 MAD 7.29

74.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.41 MAD 3.92

175.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.59 MAD 5.58

-6.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.94 MAD 37.37

8.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.70 MAD 73.0

147.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.98 MAD 18.75

-10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.86 MAD 17.68

49.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.45 MAD 4.25

395.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$10.44 MAD 99.0

117.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.69 MAD 6.50

339.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.54 MAD 5.16

88.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.49 MAD 61.5

-40.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.51 MAD 14.29

-1.32%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$34.8K MAD 329.9K

-23.58%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$32.3K MAD 306.1K

-16.26%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$35.87 MAD 340

185.67%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$10.28 MAD 97.5

10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$33.79 MAD 320

-48.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$19.18 MAD 182

171.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$5.26 MAD 49.87

110.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.79 MAD 35.97

102.90%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$99.4 MAD 942

464.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$3,665 MAD 34.8K

213.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$39.95 MAD 379

57.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$34.76 MAD 330

-15.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$89.9 MAD 852

9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$36.39 MAD 345

143.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$293 MAD 2,782

151.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$140 MAD 1,324

245.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$477 MAD 4,524

341.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$248 MAD 2,349

394.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$918 MAD 8,702

294.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$571 MAD 5,416

355.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$457 MAD 4,332

8.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.52

23.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Safi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $293 in Safi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 8% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Safi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $169 per month, with Safi 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 Safi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Safi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $293 in Safi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $99.4 in Safi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $600 in Safi versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Safi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Safi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Safi 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 Safi 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 Safi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.