Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Douala and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,334 in Douala, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. The total is higher in Douala despite lower rent and utilities.

64

Cost of Living Index in Douala
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Douala Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Douala

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$1,334

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,334 per month in Douala vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Douala $1,334
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,160 per month in Douala vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Douala $2,160
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,985 per month in Douala vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Douala $2,985
Phuket $3,154

Douala costs about 4% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Douala and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Douala 2% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 FCFA 2,558

$4.47 ฿151

-2.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 FCFA 71.1K

$32.41 ฿1,093

275.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 FCFA 4,053

$8.81 ฿297

-21.34%

Cappuccino

$2.13 FCFA 1,246

$2.83 ฿95.4

-24.73%

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

$1.64 FCFA 960

$0.87 ฿29.40

88.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 FCFA 445

$0.49 ฿16.65

55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 FCFA 704

$2.56 ฿86.3

-53.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 FCFA 1,528

$3.68 ฿124

-29.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.90 FCFA 1,698

$1.66 ฿55.9

74.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 FCFA 238

$1.46 ฿49.29

-71.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 FCFA 1,277

$1.50 ฿50.5

45.33%

Eggs

$1.85 FCFA 1,082

$2.09 ฿70.5

-11.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.34 FCFA 13.1K

$19.07 ฿643

17.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 FCFA 4,604

$3.30 ฿111

138.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.18 FCFA 3,614

$10.91 ฿368

-43.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 FCFA 2,692

$2.93 ฿98.8

57.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 FCFA 1,185

$1.69 ฿57.0

20.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 FCFA 1,215

$2.25 ฿75.7

-7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 FCFA 809

$2.08 ฿70.0

-33.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 FCFA 1,860

$1.51 ฿51.0

110.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 FCFA 1,260

$1.38 ฿46.51

55.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 FCFA 443

$1.07 ฿35.95

-28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 FCFA 391

$0.52 ฿17.50

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.53 FCFA 1,478

$4.20 ฿142

-39.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 FCFA 5,024

$18.79 ฿634

-54.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 FCFA 821

$1.82 ฿61.4

-23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 FCFA 1,041

$2.84 ฿95.8

-37.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 FCFA 388

$1.45 ฿48.97

-54.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.06 FCFA 9,978

$56.7 ฿1,911

-69.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 FCFA 338

$3.02 ฿102

-80.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 FCFA 476

$1.02 ฿34.32

-20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.33 FCFA 4,871

$3.69 ฿124

125.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 FCFA 824

$1.47 ฿49.75

-4.08%

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

$29.4K FCFA 17.2M

$26.8K ฿903.2K

9.95%

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

$15.6K FCFA 9.1M

$26.7K ฿900.3K

-41.49%

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

$162 FCFA 94.9K

$96.4 ฿3,250

68.32%

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

$25.14 FCFA 14.7K

$11.26 ฿380

123.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$178 FCFA 103.9K

$16.85 ฿568

954.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.23 FCFA 24.1K

$67.2 ฿2,268

-38.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$8.77 FCFA 5,129

$7.50 ฿253

16.93%

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

$505 FCFA 295.5K

$476 ฿16.1K

6.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,387 FCFA 2.0M

$11.3K ฿379.9K

-69.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 FCFA 46.8K

$62.4 ฿2,103

28.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.1 FCFA 39.8K

$28.41 ฿958

139.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 FCFA 79.6K

$94.3 ฿3,180

44.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 FCFA 86.0K

$85.8 ฿2,894

71.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$567 FCFA 331.9K

$716 ฿24.1K

-20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 FCFA 183.0K

$491 ฿16.6K

-36.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 FCFA 782.7K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-30.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 FCFA 316.9K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-62.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 FCFA 1.2M

$4,175 ฿140.8K

-52.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 FCFA 556.8K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-68.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$222 FCFA 129.6K

$502 ฿16.9K

-55.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.04

5.57

241.83%

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

Last update for Douala: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Douala

$365 27.4%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 65.9% $240

Accommodation & Living

Douala

$313 23.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 56.9% $178

Groceries & Markets

Douala

$277 20.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 4% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Douala

$194 14.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 37.2% $72

Eating Out

Douala

$102 7.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 19.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Douala

$59 4.4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 39.9% $23

Getting Around

Douala

$24 1.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 190% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $567 in Douala versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 2.3 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Douala versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇲 Douala

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:45 5:45 PM

23:45 11:45 PM

6 h ahead of Douala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,000,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Douala Phuket 9,800 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Douala
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

Douala vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Douala is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,001 per month in Douala and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Douala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $567 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Douala, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Douala and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,334 in Douala and $1,278 in Phuket, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,334 in Douala. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.