Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bosaso and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Bosaso: $320 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Bosaso

🇸🇴 Somalia

$320

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $320 in Bosaso versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Bosaso $320
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $495 in Bosaso versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Bosaso $495
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $670 in Bosaso versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Bosaso $670
Phuket $3,154

Living in Bosaso costs roughly 75% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bosaso 77% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.99 SOS 1,128

$4.47 ฿151

-55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 SOS 2,890

$8.81 ฿297

-42.22%

Cappuccino

$1.47 SOS 834

$2.83 ฿95.4

-48.06%

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

$1.02 SOS 579

$0.87 ฿29.42

17.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 SOS 352

$0.49 ฿16.66

26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$3.08 SOS 1,752

$1.66 ฿56.0

85.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.39 SOS 220

$1.50 ฿50.5

-74.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.07 SOS 1,743

$3.30 ฿111

-6.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.03 SOS 2,289

$10.91 ฿368

-63.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 SOS 1,122

$2.93 ฿98.9

-32.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 SOS 1,659

$1.69 ฿57.0

72.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 SOS 834

$0.52 ฿17.51

182.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.98 SOS 555

$4.20 ฿142

-76.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 SOS 178

$1.45 ฿49.00

-78.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 SOS 974

$3.02 ฿102

-43.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 SOS 527

$1.02 ฿34.34

-8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 SOS 1,392

$3.69 ฿125

-33.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 SOS 493

$1.47 ฿49.78

-40.82%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

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

$10.10 SOS 5,739

$11.26 ฿380

-10.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.92 SOS 18.1K

$16.85 ฿569

89.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

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 ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.82 SOS 6,144

$62.4 ฿2,105

-82.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$14.82 SOS 8,420

$28.41 ฿959

-47.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$13.14 SOS 7,466

$94.3 ฿3,182

-86.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$14.75 SOS 8,379

$85.8 ฿2,896

-82.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 SOS 71.4K

$716 ฿24.2K

-82.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.8 SOS 48.7K

$491 ฿16.6K

-82.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 SOS 112.3K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-89.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 SOS 107.2K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-86.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.6K SOS 16.8M

$4,175 ฿140.9K

608.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 SOS 172.4K

$502 ฿17.0K

-39.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Bosaso: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bosaso

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Bosaso

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bosaso

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Bosaso

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Bosaso

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Bosaso

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Bosaso

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $126 in Bosaso and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 66% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇸🇴 Bosaso

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:20 8:20 AM

12:20 12:20 PM

4 h ahead of Bosaso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,287

79,308

💱 Currency

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.58 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to SOS – Somali Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇴 Somali Shilling (Sh)

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 634 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.58 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to SOS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bosaso Phuket 5,400 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Bosaso
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

Bosaso vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $320 in Bosaso and $1,278 in Phuket, so Bosaso is about 75% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 40% lower in Bosaso. 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: $126 in Bosaso versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 154% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $320 per month in Bosaso versus $1,278 in Phuket – Bosaso is about 75% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $320 in Bosaso versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Bosaso but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bosaso 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.

It comes down to priorities – Bosaso wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.