Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Xai-Xai and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Xai-Xai: $680 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Xai-Xai
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Xai-Xai Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Xai-Xai

🇲🇿 Mozambique

$680

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Xai-Xai 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 Xai-Xai and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $680 in Xai-Xai versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Xai-Xai $680
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,143 in Xai-Xai versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Xai-Xai $1,143
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,607 in Xai-Xai versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Xai-Xai $1,607
Phuket $2,867

Living in Xai-Xai costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Xai-Xai 50% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.00 MZN 632

$4.58 ฿153

118.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 MZN 3,932

$32.48 ฿1,086

91.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 MZN 461

$8.55 ฿286

-14.74%

Cappuccino

$2.25 MZN 142

$2.72 ฿91.0

-17.28%

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

$0.86 MZN 54.6

$0.94 ฿31.25

-8.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MZN 44.08

$0.49 ฿16.39

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 MZN 97.6

$2.59 ฿86.6

-40.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 MZN 150

$3.83 ฿128

-38.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 MZN 96.1

$1.74 ฿58.1

-12.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MZN 65.4

$1.43 ฿47.82

-27.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MZN 101

$1.53 ฿51.0

3.92%

Eggs

$2.43 MZN 154

$2.17 ฿72.7

11.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.25 MZN 1,344

$19.15 ฿640

10.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 MZN 360

$3.30 ฿110

72.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.55 MZN 351

$11.14 ฿372

-50.18%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 MZN 126

$2.95 ฿98.5

-32.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 MZN 48.08

$1.68 ฿56.1

-54.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 MZN 103

$2.30 ฿76.8

-29.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 MZN 66.2

$2.13 ฿71.3

-50.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MZN 63.7

$1.53 ฿51.1

-33.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 MZN 50.2

$1.36 ฿45.55

-41.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 MZN 58.9

$1.12 ฿37.44

-16.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 MZN 54.5

$0.55 ฿18.24

56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 MZN 174

$4.26 ฿142

-35.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 MZN 638

$18.19 ฿608

-44.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MZN 62.5

$1.74 ฿58.2

-43.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 MZN 81.1

$2.79 ฿93.3

-54.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 MZN 98.0

$2.91 ฿97.3

-46.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MZN 75.4

$1.01 ฿33.79

17.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.71 MZN 1,563

$3.83 ฿128

545.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MZN 89.4

$1.49 ฿49.85

-5.37%

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

$32.1K MZN 2.0M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

20.46%

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

$22.8K MZN 1.4M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-14.55%

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

$70.5 MZN 4,459

$99.4 ฿3,321

-29.05%

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

$7.86 MZN 497

$11.28 ฿377

-30.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.5 MZN 5,597

$17.36 ฿580

409.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$8.01 MZN 507

$7.57 ฿253

5.81%

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

$129 MZN 8,179

$558 ฿18.7K

-76.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,214 MZN 329.8K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-54.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.93 MZN 3,158

$62.9 ฿2,102

-20.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MZN 3,541

$28.58 ฿955

95.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 MZN 4,938

$96.1 ฿3,213

-18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 MZN 5,065

$88.1 ฿2,943

-9.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

348.83%

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

Last update for Xai-Xai: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Xai-Xai

$223 32.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 19.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Xai-Xai

$167 24.5%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 23.3% $39

Eating Out

Xai-Xai

$148 21.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 17.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Xai-Xai

$119 17.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 4.4% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Xai-Xai

$16 * 2.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 321% $51

Getting Around

Xai-Xai

$7.5 * 1.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 418% $31

Accommodation & Living

Xai-Xai

- * 0%

Phuket

$460 38.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $62.0 in Xai-Xai vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $223 vs $268, with Xai-Xai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇿 Xai-Xai

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

5 h ahead of Xai-Xai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,343

79,308

💱 Currency

Mozambican Metical MZN MT

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 MZN = 1.58 USD

100 MZN = 1.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to MZN – Mozambican Metical Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇿 Mozambican Metical (MT)

Mozambican Metical exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 63.25 MZN (100 MZN = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.11 MZN (100 MZN = 1.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to MZN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Xai-Xai
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

Xai-Xai vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Xai-Xai is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,020 in Xai-Xai and $1,811 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.

Childcare runs $129 in Xai-Xai versus $558 in Phuket. 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 $62.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $680 in Xai-Xai versus $1,207 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, Xai-Xai and Phuket 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 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.