Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xai-Xai

For one person, living is cheaper in Xai-Xai: $682 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Xai-Xai
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Xai-Xai Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Xai-Xai

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Xai-Xai

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $682 in Xai-Xai.

Phuket $1,278
Xai-Xai $682

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,151 in Xai-Xai.

Phuket $2,216
Xai-Xai $1,151

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,620 in Xai-Xai.

Phuket $3,154
Xai-Xai $1,620

Living in Phuket is roughly 87% more expensive than in Xai-Xai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Xai-Xai 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.16 MZN 642

-56.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$63.7 MZN 4,029

-49.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.21 MZN 456

22.19%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.16 MZN 137

31.02%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$0.86 MZN 54.5

1.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.73 MZN 46.29

-32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.60 MZN 101

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.33 MZN 147

57.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.54 MZN 97.6

7.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.03 MZN 65.4

41.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.60 MZN 101

-6.25%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.50 MZN 158

-16.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$21.24 MZN 1,343

-10.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.72 MZN 362

-42.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.80 MZN 367

88.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$1.99 MZN 126

47.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.75 MZN 47.22

125.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.68 MZN 107

33.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.08 MZN 68.4

92.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.04 MZN 65.5

45.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$0.79 MZN 50.1

74.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$0.92 MZN 58.0

16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.90 MZN 57.1

-42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.79 MZN 176

50.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.08 MZN 637

86.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.97 MZN 61.6

87.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.27 MZN 80.4

123.62%

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

$1.53 MZN 96.6

97.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.19 MZN 75.4

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$24.19 MZN 1,530

-84.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.40 MZN 88.8

5.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$32.0K MZN 2.0M

-16.45%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$22.7K MZN 1.4M

17.41%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$71.4 MZN 4,518

34.89%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.74 MZN 490

45.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$88.5 MZN 5,596

-80.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.72 MZN 488

-2.85%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$178 MZN 11.2K

168.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$5,082 MZN 321.4K

121.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$49.75 MZN 3,146

25.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$57.0 MZN 3,606

-50.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$77.2 MZN 4,881

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$79.3 MZN 5,017

8.17%

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

-77.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Xai-Xai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Xai-Xai

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Xai-Xai

$225 33% 15.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Xai-Xai

$168 24.6% 34.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Xai-Xai

$118 17.4% 2.8% $3.4

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Xai-Xai

$148 21.7% 21.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Xai-Xai

$15 * 2.3% 81.2% $67

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Xai-Xai

$7.5 * 1.1% 89.4% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $64 in Xai-Xai. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $225, with Xai-Xai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇿 Xai-Xai

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

02:54 2:54 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

116,343

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MZN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 70.89 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Xai-Xai 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Xai-Xai

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 Xai-Xai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xai-Xai is about 47% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,023 in Xai-Xai 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.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $178 in Xai-Xai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $64 in Xai-Xai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $682 in Xai-Xai versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Xai-Xai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Xai-Xai 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.