Cost of Living Comparison Between Kish and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kish and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $526 in Kish versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $815 in Kish versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,104 in Kish versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Kish costs roughly 57% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kish 61% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 $4.42

$4.63 ฿151

-4.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.79 $15.79

$46.84 ฿1,523

-66.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.28 $3.28

$8.84 ฿287

-62.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 $0.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

Cappuccino

$1.12 $1.12

$3.00 ฿97.4

-62.67%

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

$0.46 $0.46

$0.74 ฿24.11

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.37 ฿11.88

159.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 $0.55

$2.26 ฿73.5

-75.66%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.84 ฿59.8

-70.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.24 ฿73.0

-16.52%

Eggs

$1.14 $1.14

$2.32 ฿75.3

-50.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$19.67 ฿639

-82.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.65 ฿119

-12.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$13.10 ฿426

-22.44%

Apples (1kg)

$0.84 $0.84

$3.39 ฿110

-75.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.64 ฿53.4

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.41 ฿78.5

-65.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 $0.54

$2.03 ฿66.0

-73.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.56 ฿50.6

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 $0.45

$1.50 ฿48.66

-70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.02 ฿33.30

-46.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 $0.23

$0.49 ฿15.91

-53.06%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.12 $1.12

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 $0.49

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.45 ฿145

-49.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 $0.20

$1.40 ฿45.54

-85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.48 ฿373

-12.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.34 $0.34

$3.12 ฿101

-89.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.00 ฿32.48

-71.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$14.09 ฿458

-86.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.35 ฿43.93

-41.48%

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

$72.7K $72.7K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

167.48%

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

$54.7K $54.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

66.14%

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

$15.96 $15.96

$125 ฿4,063

-87.23%

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

$2.06 $2.06

$13.57 ฿441

-84.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.65 $5.65

$18.52 ฿602

-69.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.09 $16.09

$61.5 ฿1,999

-73.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.67 $12.67

$16.84 ฿547

-24.76%

Cinema Ticket

$1.53 $1.53

$9.19 ฿299

-83.35%

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

$116 $116

$698 ฿22.7K

-83.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,965 $1,965

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-87.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.18 $22.18

$57.8 ฿1,878

-61.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.01 $25.01

$35.24 ฿1,146

-29.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$113 ฿3,677

-0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 $69.5

$86.4 ฿2,808

-19.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 $283

$616 ฿20.0K

-54.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 $197

$446 ฿14.5K

-55.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-68.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 $319

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-78.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,194 $1,194

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-68.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$594 $594

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-77.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$412 $412

$524 ฿17.0K

-21.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.24

5.33

317.26%

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

Last update for Kish: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Kish and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 27% 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: $16.00 in Kish vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $105 vs $292 per month, with Kish cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Kish vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kish and Phuket differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($526 vs $1,232 including rent). Kish is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phuket earns 27% less. 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: $283 in Kish versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 178% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kish – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $526 in Kish versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kish but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kish 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, Kish 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 Kish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.