Cost of Living Comparison Between Kos and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kos and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Kos versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,288 in Kos versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Kos versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Kos is roughly 18% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kos is 12% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.08 €14.70

$4.70 ฿153

263.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 €64.7

$45.37 ฿1,482

65.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 €10.41

$8.43 ฿275

43.53%

Cappuccino

$4.71 €4.06

$2.93 ฿95.6

60.75%

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

$3.26 €2.81

$0.69 ฿22.40

372.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.37 ฿11.99

202.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €3.94

$2.41 ฿78.6

90.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 €6.12

$3.72 ฿122

91.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 €2.06

$2.23 ฿72.9

7.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.83 ฿59.8

-7.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.17 ฿70.8

11.52%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.61

$2.21 ฿72.3

89.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.78 €11.86

$19.74 ฿645

-30.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 €8.22

$3.63 ฿119

163.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.69 €11.78

$13.53 ฿442

1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$3.28 ฿107

-33.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.61 ฿52.6

32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.41 ฿78.6

-40.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.08 ฿68.1

-5.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.53 ฿49.93

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.02

$1.48 ฿48.36

-19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.99 ฿32.29

-2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$0.51 ฿16.67

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 €4.49

$4.41 ฿144

18.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.05 €6.07

$19.38 ฿633

-63.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.78 ฿58.1

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.40

$2.71 ฿88.6

2.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.37 ฿44.79

16.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.07 €40.52

$11.39 ฿372

313.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.10

$3.02 ฿98.6

57.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.84 €11.92

$14.10 ฿461

-1.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.36 ฿44.51

58.82%

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

$30.6K €26.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

8.64%

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

$26.9K €23.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-18.12%

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

$212 €182

$122 ฿3,975

73.87%

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

$23.12 €19.90

$13.57 ฿443

70.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.30 €30.39

$18.31 ฿598

92.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.04 €41.36

$60.2 ฿1,967

-20.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.71 €22.13

$17.14 ฿560

50.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.40

$8.69 ฿284

12.20%

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

$431 €371

$693 ฿22.6K

-37.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,897 €5,077

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-62.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 €76.6

$59.5 ฿1,944

49.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 €33.07

$34.77 ฿1,136

10.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 €76.0

$115 ฿3,743

-22.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €92.3

$83.3 ฿2,720

28.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 €420

$613 ฿20.0K

-20.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 €330

$437 ฿14.3K

-12.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 €645

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-64.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 €523

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-59.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,853 €2,456

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-23.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,803 €2,413

$2,616 ฿85.4K

7.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$939 €809

$508 ฿16.6K

84.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

5.33

-16.89%

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

Last update for Kos: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $488 in Kos and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kos pays 85% 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: $75.0 in Kos vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $293, with Kos cheaper for home cooking.

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

Kos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Kos. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Kos pays 85% more on average, 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: $488 in Kos versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $75.0 in Kos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,494 per month in Kos versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,494 in Kos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kos. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kos 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 18% less than in Kos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.