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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $619 in Safi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $948 in Safi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,277 in Safi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 102% more expensive than in Safi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.95 MAD 36.93

15.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$16.24 MAD 152

184.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.70 MAD 43.97

88.09%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.96 MAD 18.32

56.12%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.62 MAD 5.81

17.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.32 MAD 2.97

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.65 MAD 15.46

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.66 MAD 15.50

127.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.87 MAD 8.09

159.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.50 MAD 4.72

262.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.53 MAD 14.32

47.06%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.87 MAD 17.53

20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.39 MAD 69.2

164.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.81 MAD 63.7

-46.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.58 MAD 89.6

36.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.27 MAD 11.90

154.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.20 MAD 11.21

35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.77 MAD 7.20

209.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.71 MAD 6.68

185.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.67 MAD 6.30

128.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.70 MAD 6.54

114.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.42 MAD 3.93

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.64 MAD 5.98

-18.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.13 MAD 38.69

7.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.63 MAD 71.4

140.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.98 MAD 18.56

-6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.94 MAD 18.13

38.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.51 MAD 4.79

176.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$10.85 MAD 102

7.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.53 MAD 4.97

486.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.51 MAD 4.81

103.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.62 MAD 62.0

113.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.59 MAD 14.86

-17.61%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$36.8K MAD 344.3K

-24.40%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.0K MAD 280.4K

10.86%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$29.16 MAD 273

319.89%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$11.26 MAD 105

20.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$40.37 MAD 378

-53.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$21.73 MAD 203

178.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$5.56 MAD 52.0

205.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.94 MAD 36.86

130.20%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$160 MAD 1,497

341.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$3,729 MAD 34.9K

323.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$42.18 MAD 395

38.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$36.17 MAD 338

-2.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$98.5 MAD 921

17.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$38.95 MAD 364

114.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$245 MAD 2,296

154.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$141 MAD 1,317

216.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$454 MAD 4,248

349.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$240 MAD 2,247

521.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$920 MAD 8,605

278.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$561 MAD 5,250

359.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$458 MAD 4,283

9.20%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Safi: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $245 in Safi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 9% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Safi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $174 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 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $245 in Safi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 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 66% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $619 in Safi versus $1,250 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 102% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.