Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilkenny and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kilkenny and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,313 in Kilkenny versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Kilkenny versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,134 in Kilkenny versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Kilkenny is roughly 88% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kilkenny is 69% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 €15.05

$4.41 ฿147

291.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.3 €72.6

$32.26 ฿1,077

158.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €9.04

$8.93 ฿298

16.13%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.76

$2.90 ฿96.6

48.62%

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

$2.17 €1.90

$0.88 ฿29.38

146.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.48 ฿16.06

291.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 €5.37

$2.35 ฿78.5

162.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 €5.94

$3.72 ฿124

83.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.87 ฿62.3

-28.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.11

$1.47 ฿48.94

64.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.55 ฿51.8

28.39%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.60

$2.10 ฿70.1

96.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 €9.49

$19.59 ฿654

-44.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.18 €9.74

$3.42 ฿114

226.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.51 €10.03

$11.38 ฿380

1.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 €1.02

$2.98 ฿99.6

-60.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.68 ฿56.2

1.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.71

$2.21 ฿73.7

40.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 €1.98

$2.16 ฿72.1

5.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 €1.07

$1.52 ฿50.9

-19.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.34 ฿44.67

-11.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.13 ฿37.67

-15.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.03

$0.55 ฿18.24

114.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.85 €18.18

$4.26 ฿142

389.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.95 €12.16

$19.09 ฿637

-26.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.59

$1.78 ฿59.4

66.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.07

$2.78 ฿92.9

26.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 €4.75

$3.03 ฿101

79.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.02 ฿34.15

49.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.4 €50.9

$3.89 ฿130

1402.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.49 ฿49.77

30.87%

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

$37.0K €32.2K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

39.11%

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

$37.6K €32.8K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

39.09%

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

$185 €161

$102 ฿3,420

80.77%

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

$22.84 €19.91

$11.33 ฿378

101.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 €46.40

$17.40 ฿581

205.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 €60.0

$52.1 ฿1,738

32.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 €15.39

$7.69 ฿257

129.52%

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

$939 €818

$561 ฿18.7K

67.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €81.7

$63.0 ฿2,104

48.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.14 €29.76

$29.52 ฿986

15.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 €86.7

$98.0 ฿3,272

1.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €99.0

$88.5 ฿2,954

28.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 €1,267

$738 ฿24.6K

96.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 €1,032

$482 ฿16.1K

145.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,431 €2,119

$2,107 ฿70.3K

15.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,698 €1,480

$1,226 ฿40.9K

38.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,316 €7,249

$3,617 ฿120.7K

129.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,276 €1,984

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-12.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,800 €2,441

$494 ฿16.5K

467.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

5.57

-33.93%

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

Last update for Kilkenny: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,453 in Kilkenny and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kilkenny pays 467% 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: $83.0 in Kilkenny vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $274 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Kilkenny vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 467% higher in Kilkenny, 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: $1,453 in Kilkenny versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $939 in Kilkenny versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $83.0 in Kilkenny. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,313 in Kilkenny, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kilkenny. 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 Kilkenny, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kilkenny 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 88% less than in Kilkenny. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.