Cost of Living Comparison Between Abidjan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Abidjan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,344 in Abidjan versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Abidjan versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,023 in Abidjan versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Abidjan is roughly 8% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Abidjan is 1% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 F CFA 2,015

$4.55 ฿153

-22.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.8 F CFA 30.2K

$46.18 ฿1,550

14.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 F CFA 6,106

$8.84 ฿297

20.59%

Cappuccino

$1.90 F CFA 1,086

$3.06 ฿103

-37.91%

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

$0.80 F CFA 458

$0.73 ฿24.36

9.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 492

$0.40 ฿13.37

115.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 F CFA 601

$2.43 ฿81.6

-56.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 F CFA 994

$3.78 ฿127

-54.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 F CFA 1,377

$2.26 ฿75.8

6.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 F CFA 335

$1.81 ฿60.8

-67.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 F CFA 747

$2.25 ฿75.7

-42.22%

Eggs

$2.28 F CFA 1,304

$2.25 ฿75.4

1.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.01 F CFA 13.2K

$19.51 ฿655

17.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 F CFA 4,799

$3.65 ฿122

129.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.07 F CFA 3,479

$13.05 ฿438

-53.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 F CFA 2,215

$3.23 ฿109

19.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 F CFA 623

$1.62 ฿54.3

-32.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 F CFA 1,260

$2.38 ฿80.0

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 F CFA 1,125

$2.03 ฿68.0

-3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 963

$1.53 ฿51.5

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 994

$1.50 ฿50.4

16.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 F CFA 497

$0.98 ฿32.85

-11.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 490

$0.52 ฿17.36

65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.80 F CFA 1,029

$4.44 ฿149

-59.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 F CFA 3,520

$18.32 ฿615

-66.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 F CFA 577

$1.86 ฿62.6

-45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 F CFA 815

$2.68 ฿90.0

-47.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 F CFA 569

$1.41 ฿47.37

-29.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.00 F CFA 27.5K

$11.70 ฿393

310.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 F CFA 982

$3.11 ฿104

-45.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 F CFA 912

$1.04 ฿35.00

52.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.42 F CFA 15.1K

$14.11 ฿474

87.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 F CFA 885

$1.31 ฿44.02

18.32%

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

$32.4K F CFA 18.6M

$27.8K ฿933.8K

16.41%

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

$30.3K F CFA 17.3M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-8.85%

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

$187 F CFA 106.9K

$122 ฿4,110

52.34%

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

$35.90 F CFA 20.6K

$13.59 ฿456

164.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.13 F CFA 26.4K

$18.70 ฿628

146.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.0 F CFA 44.7K

$60.5 ฿2,031

28.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 F CFA 12.7K

$16.98 ฿570

31.04%

Cinema Ticket

$8.64 F CFA 4,953

$9.07 ฿305

-4.74%

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

$291 F CFA 166.7K

$706 ฿23.7K

-58.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,340 F CFA 1.9M

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-78.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 F CFA 51.8K

$58.6 ฿1,965

54.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 F CFA 32.6K

$35.36 ฿1,187

61.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 F CFA 48.2K

$115 ฿3,876

-27.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 F CFA 79.1K

$83.7 ฿2,811

64.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 F CFA 351.8K

$626 ฿21.0K

-1.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 F CFA 220.9K

$445 ฿14.9K

-13.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,843 F CFA 1.1M

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-9.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$950 F CFA 544.5K

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-36.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,294 F CFA 1.3M

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-34.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$692 F CFA 396.3K

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-73.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$221 F CFA 126.6K

$500 ฿16.8K

-55.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.75

5.33

176.74%

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

Last update for Abidjan: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Abidjan and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 126% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Abidjan vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $289, with Abidjan 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

Abidjan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 126% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $614 in Abidjan versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $53.0 in Abidjan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,344 per month in Abidjan versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,344 in Abidjan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Abidjan. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Abidjan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Abidjan 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Abidjan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.