Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Toliara

For one person, living is cheaper in Toliara: $174 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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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

Toliara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Toliara

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $174 in Toliara.

Phuket $1,278
Toliara $174

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $261 in Toliara.

Phuket $2,216
Toliara $261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $349 in Toliara.

Phuket $3,154
Toliara $349

Living in Phuket is roughly 633% more expensive than in Toliara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Toliara 87% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$1.72 MGA 7,855

159.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$0.78 MGA 3,585

262.82%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.67 MGA 3,082

29.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.42 MGA 6,505

16.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.41 MGA 1,871

265.85%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.08 MGA 9,499

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.69 MGA 21.5K

-29.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.94 MGA 22.6K

120.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.68 MGA 3,120

148.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.68 MGA 7,685

23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.52 MGA 2,372

190.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.67 MGA 3,071

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.80 MGA 8,253

133.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.48 MGA 25.1K

242.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.63 MGA 2,877

188.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

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

$11.26 ฿380

$16.30 MGA 74.6K

-30.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$33.49 MGA 153.3K

-49.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

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 Toliara: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Toliara

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Toliara

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Toliara

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Toliara

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Toliara

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Toliara

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Toliara

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇬 Toliara

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

17:15 5:15 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

168,756

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,108 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Toliara 6,880 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Toliara

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 Toliara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toliara is about 86% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $261 in Toliara 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 170% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $174 in Toliara – Toliara is about 86% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $174 in Toliara versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Toliara but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Toliara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.