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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $611 in Safi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $958 in Safi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,305 in Safi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 107% more expensive than Safi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Safi 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.76 MAD 34.55

25.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$16.53 MAD 152

174.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.64 MAD 42.64

81.68%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.96 MAD 17.99

49.49%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.61 MAD 5.62

13.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.31 MAD 2.88

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.67 MAD 15.35

44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.62 MAD 14.84

129.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.83 MAD 7.63

168.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.47 MAD 4.29

289.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.49 MAD 13.65

45.64%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.92 MAD 17.61

15.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.10 MAD 65.2

178.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.91 MAD 63.6

-47.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.50 MAD 87.3

42.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.21 MAD 11.13

171.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.24 MAD 11.41

29.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.83 MAD 7.64

190.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.71 MAD 6.52

192.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.64 MAD 5.92

139.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.66 MAD 6.08

124.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.43 MAD 3.93

130.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.60 MAD 5.47

-15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.09 MAD 37.56

7.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.98 MAD 73.3

142.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.03 MAD 18.67

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.91 MAD 17.55

41.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.47 MAD 4.32

191.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$10.79 MAD 99.1

5.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.58 MAD 5.29

420.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.48 MAD 4.43

106.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.39 MAD 58.7

120.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.58 MAD 14.50

-13.92%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$37.9K MAD 348.0K

-25.53%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.6K MAD 271.8K

11.26%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$29.75 MAD 273

309.08%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$10.93 MAD 100

24.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$40.66 MAD 374

-54.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$21.84 MAD 201

175.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.39 MAD 49.50

218.00%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.87 MAD 35.54

124.55%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$160 MAD 1,467

334.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,763 MAD 34.6K

316.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$41.95 MAD 386

41.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$35.23 MAD 324

-1.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$97.1 MAD 892

18.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$38.73 MAD 356

115.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$241 MAD 2,214

154.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$138 MAD 1,267

216.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$453 MAD 4,163

362.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$237 MAD 2,176

537.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$946 MAD 8,695

296.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$592 MAD 5,440

341.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$463 MAD 4,251

9.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.81

10.81%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Safi: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $241 in Safi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $17.00 in Safi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $173 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 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 10% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $241 in Safi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $160 in Safi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $611 in Safi versus $1,265 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 107% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.