Cost of Living Comparison Between Asmara and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Asmara and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,472 in Asmara versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Asmara versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,884 in Asmara versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Asmara is roughly 18% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Asmara is 10% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.50 ERN 188

$4.55 ฿153

174.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.48 ERN 443

$46.18 ฿1,553

-36.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 ERN 88.0

$8.84 ฿297

-33.71%

Cappuccino

$0.80 ERN 12.03

$3.06 ฿103

-73.86%

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

$1.88 ERN 28.22

$0.73 ฿24.40

157.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 ERN 20.18

$0.40 ฿13.39

235.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ERN 15.41

$2.43 ฿81.8

-57.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ERN 29.89

$3.78 ฿127

-47.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ERN 24.95

$2.26 ฿76.0

-26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 ERN 7.23

$1.81 ฿60.9

-73.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 ERN 29.60

$2.25 ฿75.8

-12.44%

Eggs

$4.47 ERN 67.2

$2.25 ฿75.5

98.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.06 ERN 46.03

$19.51 ฿656

-84.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$26.59 ERN 400

$3.65 ฿123

628.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.04 ERN 151

$13.05 ฿439

-23.07%

Apples (1kg)

$12.00 ERN 180

$3.23 ฿109

271.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.83

$1.62 ฿54.4

-22.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ERN 29.19

$2.38 ฿80.1

-18.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 ERN 18.81

$2.03 ฿68.1

-38.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 ERN 26.22

$1.53 ฿51.6

13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 ERN 16.46

$1.50 ฿50.5

-26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 ERN 9.91

$0.98 ฿32.91

-32.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 ERN 32.98

$0.52 ฿17.39

321.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 ERN 30.28

$4.44 ฿149

-54.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.69 ERN 341

$18.32 ฿616

23.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ERN 15.26

$1.86 ฿62.7

-45.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 ERN 18.09

$2.68 ฿90.1

-55.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ERN 2.10

$1.41 ฿47.46

-90.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.78 ERN 117

$11.70 ฿393

-33.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.69 ERN 10.39

$3.11 ฿105

-77.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ERN 9.75

$1.04 ฿35.06

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 ERN 122

$14.11 ฿474

-42.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 ERN 32.93

$1.31 ฿44.10

67.18%

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

$65.5K ERN 984.5K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

135.48%

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

$70.5K ERN 1.1M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

112.21%

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

$27.41 ERN 412

$122 ฿4,118

-77.61%

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

$67.3 ERN 1,012

$13.59 ฿457

395.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$196 ERN 2,953

$18.70 ฿629

950.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.92 ERN 405

$60.5 ฿2,034

-55.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.69 ERN 116

$16.98 ฿571

-54.71%

Cinema Ticket

$1.07 ERN 16.06

$9.07 ฿305

-88.20%

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

$24.81 ERN 373

$706 ฿23.8K

-96.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,664 ERN 25.0K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-89.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 ERN 1,255

$58.6 ฿1,969

42.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 ERN 1,139

$35.36 ฿1,189

114.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 ERN 2,956

$115 ฿3,883

70.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.1 ERN 1,414

$83.7 ฿2,816

12.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ERN 7,156

$626 ฿21.0K

-23.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 ERN 5,980

$445 ฿15.0K

-10.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ERN 11.0K

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-64.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 ERN 9,729

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-56.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,230 ERN 33.5K

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-35.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,233 ERN 33.6K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-13.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$997 ERN 15.0K

$500 ฿16.8K

99.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

125.14%

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

Last update for Asmara: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Asmara and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Asmara pays 100% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Asmara vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $289, with Phuket 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

Asmara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asmara and Phuket differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,472 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 100% higher in Asmara, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Asmara versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 50% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $24.81 in Asmara versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,472 in Asmara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Asmara. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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.

Safety-wise, Asmara 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 18% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.