Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asmara and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,374 in Asmara, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. The total is higher in Asmara despite lower rent and utilities.

67

Cost of Living Index in Asmara
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Asmara Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Asmara

🇪🇷 Eritrea

$1,374

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Asmara versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Asmara $1,374
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,159 in Asmara versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Asmara $2,159
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,943 in Asmara versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Asmara $2,943
Phuket $2,845

Living in Asmara is roughly 14% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Asmara is 1% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.76 ERN 312

$4.40 ฿147

371.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.78 ERN 507

$32.26 ฿1,078

4.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 ERN 90.5

$8.76 ฿293

-31.28%

Cappuccino

$0.77 ERN 11.61

$2.83 ฿94.5

-72.79%

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

$1.02 ERN 15.37

$0.90 ฿30.14

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 ERN 14.59

$0.47 ฿15.56

106.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 ERN 9.20

$2.55 ฿85.2

-76.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ERN 23.41

$1.73 ฿57.7

-9.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ERN 33.95

$1.51 ฿50.6

49.67%

Eggs

$4.48 ERN 67.3

$2.17 ฿72.7

106.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 ERN 43.95

$19.70 ฿658

-85.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.11 ERN 407

$3.34 ฿112

711.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ERN 149

$11.16 ฿373

-10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$12.25 ERN 184

$2.85 ฿95.1

329.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ERN 18.86

$1.70 ฿56.9

-25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ERN 30.53

$2.19 ฿73.3

-7.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ERN 17.18

$2.05 ฿68.4

-44.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ERN 26.31

$1.45 ฿48.57

20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ERN 14.27

$1.38 ฿46.16

-31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 ERN 33.78

$0.51 ฿16.91

341.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 ERN 180

$18.58 ฿621

-35.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ERN 14.71

$1.78 ฿59.7

-44.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ERN 15.43

$2.85 ฿95.2

-63.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ERN 2.10

$2.26 ฿75.6

-93.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.98 ERN 120

$22.10 ฿738

-63.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ERN 8.70

$1.06 ฿35.34

-45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 ERN 153

$3.86 ฿129

163.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 ERN 38.23

$1.45 ฿48.45

75.86%

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

$67.7K ERN 1.0M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

157.00%

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

$70.9K ERN 1.1M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

163.06%

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

$25.48 ERN 383

$96.4 ฿3,221

-73.56%

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

$68.1 ERN 1,023

$11.04 ฿369

517.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 ERN 3,012

$17.14 ฿573

1069.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.63 ERN 400

$52.2 ฿1,744

-48.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.86 ERN 73.1

$11.16 ฿373

-56.45%

Cinema Ticket

$1.22 ERN 18.28

$7.81 ฿261

-84.38%

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

$24.87 ERN 374

$556 ฿18.6K

-95.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,595 ERN 39.0K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-77.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 ERN 2,060

$64.2 ฿2,146

113.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$122 ERN 1,837

$28.69 ฿959

326.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 ERN 2,964

$95.4 ฿3,187

106.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 ERN 2,229

$88.0 ฿2,940

68.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ERN 3,781

$737 ฿24.6K

-65.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ERN 2,984

$462 ฿15.5K

-57.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 ERN 6,824

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-78.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ERN 6,305

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-65.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 ERN 18.7K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-64.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,481 ERN 37.3K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-1.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

115.44%

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

Last update for Asmara: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Asmara

$364 * 26.5%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 26.3% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asmara

$294 21.4%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 57.6% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Asmara

$272 19.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 54.3% $148

Eating Out

Asmara

$204 * 14.9%

Phuket

$121 10% 40.7% $83

Accommodation & Living

Asmara

$199 14.5%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 133% $264

Sport & Entertainment

Asmara

$29 2.1%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 133% $39

Getting Around

Asmara

$11 * 0.8%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 245% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $252 in Asmara and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Asmara vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇷 Asmara

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

19:56 7:56 PM

23:56 11:56 PM

4 h ahead of Asmara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,000 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Eritrean Nakfa ERN ናቕፋ

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ERN = 6.66 USD

100 ERN = 5.92 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ERN – Eritrean Nakfa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇷 Eritrean Nakfa (ናቕፋ)

Eritrean Nakfa exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 15.02 ERN (100 ERN = 6.66 USD). 1 EUR = 16.89 ERN (100 ERN = 5.92 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ERN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Asmara Phuket 6,510 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Asmara
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

Asmara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Asmara and Phuket differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,374 vs $1,208 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,062 in Asmara and $1,813 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $252 in Asmara versus $737 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 177% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $24.87 in Asmara versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,374 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 14% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.