Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xai-Xai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Xai-Xai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $683 in Xai-Xai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,133 in Xai-Xai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,583 in Xai-Xai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than in Xai-Xai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Xai-Xai 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.08 MZN 638

-56.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$63.7 MZN 4,029

-49.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.42 MZN 469

20.35%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.17 MZN 137

33.64%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.87 MZN 55.0

1.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.67 MZN 42.69

-28.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$1.54 MZN 97.6

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.34 MZN 148

58.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.60 MZN 101

16.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.03 MZN 65.3

42.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.65 MZN 104

-6.06%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.49 MZN 157

-15.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$20.69 MZN 1,308

-5.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.85 MZN 370

-41.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$5.67 MZN 358

100.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.00 MZN 126

49.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$0.82 MZN 51.7

104.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.68 MZN 106

31.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$1.08 MZN 68.0

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.00 MZN 63.3

52.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.81 MZN 51.3

65.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.92 MZN 58.5

22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.85 MZN 53.7

-35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.77 MZN 175

53.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$10.28 MZN 650

85.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$0.98 MZN 62.0

81.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$1.34 MZN 84.9

107.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.52 MZN 96.2

99.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.15 MZN 72.7

-11.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$24.95 MZN 1,578

-84.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.39 MZN 87.8

7.19%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$32.2K MZN 2.0M

-17.56%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$22.5K MZN 1.4M

20.28%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$71.3 MZN 4,508

43.78%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$7.61 MZN 482

48.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$86.7 MZN 5,481

-79.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$7.70 MZN 487

-0.13%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$131 MZN 8,278

328.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$5,141 MZN 325.2K

123.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$49.88 MZN 3,155

26.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$55.3 MZN 3,500

-46.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$78.4 MZN 4,956

25.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$79.5 MZN 5,028

11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Xai-Xai: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $64.0 in Xai-Xai. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $225, with Xai-Xai cheaper for home cooking.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,024 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 $561 in Phuket versus $131 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 Xai-Xai – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $683 in Xai-Xai versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Xai-Xai 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 Xai-Xai 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 Xai-Xai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.