Cost of Living Comparison Between Kukes and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kukes and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $976 in Kukes versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,436 in Kukes versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,896 in Kukes versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Kukes costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kukes 27% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 ALL 765

$4.55 ฿153

106.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.26 ALL 3,038

$46.18 ฿1,554

-19.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 ALL 563

$8.84 ฿298

-21.95%

Cappuccino

$1.86 ALL 151

$3.06 ฿103

-39.22%

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

$1.57 ALL 128

$0.73 ฿24.42

115.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ALL 67.0

$0.40 ฿13.40

105.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 ALL 187

$2.43 ฿81.8

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ALL 264

$3.78 ฿127

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ALL 127

$2.26 ฿76.0

-30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ALL 69.3

$1.81 ฿60.9

-53.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ALL 164

$2.25 ฿75.8

-10.22%

Eggs

$3.04 ALL 248

$2.25 ฿75.6

35.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 ALL 757

$19.51 ฿656

-52.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 ALL 588

$3.65 ฿123

97.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.15 ALL 664

$13.05 ฿439

-37.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ALL 94.0

$3.23 ฿109

-64.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ALL 146

$1.62 ฿54.4

10.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 ALL 80.4

$2.38 ฿80.2

-58.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 ALL 113

$2.03 ฿68.2

-31.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ALL 60.1

$1.53 ฿51.6

-51.63%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 ALL 64.3

$1.50 ฿50.5

-47.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 ALL 75.8

$0.98 ฿32.93

-5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ALL 58.9

$0.52 ฿17.40

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.55 ALL 290

$4.44 ฿149

-20.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 ALL 593

$18.32 ฿616

-60.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 ALL 74.6

$1.86 ฿62.7

-51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ALL 140

$2.68 ฿90.2

-35.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 40.11

$1.41 ฿47.49

-65.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.63 ALL 1,519

$11.70 ฿394

59.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 ALL 293

$3.11 ฿105

15.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.16 ALL 257

$1.04 ฿35.08

203.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.63 ALL 377

$14.11 ฿475

-67.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 ALL 172

$1.31 ฿44.13

61.07%

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

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

25.68%

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

$24.9K ALL 2.0M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-25.04%

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

$67.8 ALL 5,528

$122 ฿4,120

-44.63%

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

$17.32 ALL 1,413

$13.59 ฿457

27.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.14 ALL 1,316

$18.70 ฿629

-13.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 ALL 4,476

$60.5 ฿2,035

-9.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.12 ALL 2,048

$16.98 ฿572

47.94%

Cinema Ticket

$3.46 ALL 282

$9.07 ฿305

-61.85%

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

$95.4 ALL 7,776

$706 ฿23.8K

-86.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.24 ALL 2,874

$58.6 ฿1,970

-39.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.28 ALL 1,898

$35.36 ฿1,190

-34.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.26 ALL 3,365

$115 ฿3,885

-64.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 ALL 4,091

$83.7 ฿2,818

-40.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$442 ALL 36.1K

$626 ฿21.1K

-29.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 ALL 28.2K

$445 ฿15.0K

-22.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 ALL 49.1K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-70.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 ALL 35.0K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-71.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,835 ALL 149.6K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-47.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 ALL 98.2K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-53.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$520 ALL 42.4K

$500 ฿16.8K

4.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-24.95%

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

Last update for Kukes: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $442 in Kukes and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kukes pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Kukes vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $289 per month, with Kukes 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

Kukes vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kukes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Kukes, 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: $442 in Kukes versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kukes runs roughly 59% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $95.4 in Kukes versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $976 in Kukes versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kukes but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kukes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kukes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kukes 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 Kukes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.