Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toliara and Phuket

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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Toliara

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$174

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Toliara and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Toliara and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Toliara $174
Phuket $1,278

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

Toliara $261
Phuket $2,216

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

Toliara $349
Phuket $3,154

Living in Toliara costs roughly 86% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.72 MGA 7,855

$4.47 ฿151

-61.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$0.78 MGA 3,585

$2.83 ฿95.4

-72.44%

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

$0.67 MGA 3,082

$0.87 ฿29.40

-22.99%

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)

$1.42 MGA 6,505

$1.66 ฿55.9

-14.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.41 MGA 1,871

$1.50 ฿50.5

-72.67%

Eggs

$2.08 MGA 9,499

$2.09 ฿70.5

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 MGA 21.5K

$3.30 ฿111

42.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.94 MGA 22.6K

$10.91 ฿368

-54.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 MGA 3,120

$1.69 ฿57.0

-59.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 MGA 7,685

$2.08 ฿70.0

-19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 MGA 2,372

$1.51 ฿51.0

-65.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 MGA 3,071

$0.52 ฿17.50

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 MGA 8,253

$4.20 ฿142

-57.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.48 MGA 25.1K

$18.79 ฿634

-70.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 MGA 2,877

$1.82 ฿61.4

-65.38%

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)

$16.30 MGA 74.6K

$11.26 ฿380

44.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.49 MGA 153.3K

$16.85 ฿568

98.75%

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 Toliara: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toliara

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Toliara

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toliara

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Toliara

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Toliara

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Toliara

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Toliara

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Good to know

🇲🇬 Toliara

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:40 4:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

4 h ahead of Toliara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

168,756

79,308

💱 Currency

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MGA – Malagasy Ariary Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary (Ar)

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).

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).

USD to MGA in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toliara Phuket 6,880 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Toliara
Phuket

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

Toliara vs Phuket: 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 $261 in Toliara and $1,917 in Phuket 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 $174 per month in Toliara versus $1,278 in Phuket – 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.