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: $1,487 in Kos versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,293 in Kos versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,099 in Kos versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Kos is roughly 19% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kos is 11% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €14.93

$4.55 ฿153

274.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 €65.0

$46.18 ฿1,553

60.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 €10.46

$8.84 ฿297

35.07%

Cappuccino

$4.74 €4.15

$3.06 ฿103

54.90%

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

$3.21 €2.81

$0.73 ฿24.40

339.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.97

$0.40 ฿13.39

177.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.58 €4.01

$2.43 ฿81.8

88.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 €6.07

$3.78 ฿127

83.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 €2.08

$2.26 ฿76.0

4.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.81 ฿60.9

-6.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$2.25 ฿75.8

9.78%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.53

$2.25 ฿75.5

79.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 €11.83

$19.51 ฿656

-30.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 €8.46

$3.65 ฿123

164.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 €11.99

$13.05 ฿439

4.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$3.23 ฿109

-33.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.85

$1.62 ฿54.4

30.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.38 ฿80.1

-39.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.73

$2.03 ฿68.1

-2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 €1.12

$1.53 ฿51.6

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.50 ฿50.5

-17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 €0.89

$0.98 ฿32.91

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.66

$0.52 ฿17.39

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 €4.70

$4.44 ฿149

20.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 €5.95

$18.32 ฿616

-62.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.86 ฿62.7

9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.38

$2.68 ฿90.1

1.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.41 ฿47.46

13.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.73 €40.05

$11.70 ฿393

290.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €4.04

$3.11 ฿105

48.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.79 €12.08

$14.11 ฿474

-2.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.31 ฿44.10

65.65%

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

$31.0K €27.2K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

11.52%

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

$27.0K €23.7K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-18.60%

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

$213 €186

$122 ฿4,118

73.62%

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

$23.37 €20.46

$13.59 ฿457

71.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.79 €31.35

$18.70 ฿629

91.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.34 €42.33

$60.5 ฿2,034

-20.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.52 €23.22

$16.98 ฿571

56.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.33 €8.17

$9.07 ฿305

2.87%

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

$420 €368

$706 ฿23.8K

-40.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,936 €5,199

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-62.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.8

$58.6 ฿1,969

49.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.88 €34.06

$35.36 ฿1,189

9.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 €78.6

$115 ฿3,883

-22.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €95.3

$83.7 ฿2,816

29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 €429

$626 ฿21.0K

-21.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 €329

$445 ฿15.0K

-15.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 €652

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-63.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 €529

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-59.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,447 €2,143

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-29.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,497 €2,187

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-3.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$925 €810

$500 ฿16.8K

85.01%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Kos and $626 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: $74.0 in Kos vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $289, 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 19% 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.

Average pay runs 85% higher in Kos, 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: $490 in Kos versus $626 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 $46.00 versus $74.0 in Kos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,487 per month in Kos versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,487 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 $1,250 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 19% less than in Kos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.