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: $753 in Kukes versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,133 in Kukes versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,513 in Kukes versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Kukes costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kukes 45% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 ALL 306

$4.66 ฿154

-16.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.80 ALL 1,801

$32.22 ฿1,065

-29.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.69 ALL 607

$8.68 ฿287

-11.41%

Cappuccino

$1.51 ALL 119

$2.90 ฿95.8

-47.93%

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

$1.37 ALL 108

$0.84 ฿27.89

63.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ALL 54.8

$0.49 ฿16.16

40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 ALL 148

$2.48 ฿82.0

-24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ALL 178

$3.73 ฿123

-39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ALL 131

$1.89 ฿62.3

-12.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 ALL 67.4

$1.41 ฿46.54

-39.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 ALL 164

$1.62 ฿53.6

27.78%

Eggs

$2.75 ALL 217

$2.24 ฿74.1

22.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ALL 766

$19.84 ฿656

-51.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.42 ALL 586

$3.48 ฿115

113.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.92 ALL 862

$11.37 ฿376

-3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 ALL 77.8

$2.90 ฿95.8

-66.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 ALL 156

$1.72 ฿57.0

15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.04 ALL 82.1

$2.27 ฿75.1

-54.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 ALL 134

$2.13 ฿70.4

-20.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 ALL 62.8

$1.47 ฿48.72

-46.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 ALL 85.7

$1.42 ฿46.92

-23.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ALL 86.2

$1.10 ฿36.25

-0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 ALL 52.8

$0.60 ฿19.76

11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 ALL 357

$4.31 ฿142

4.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 ALL 615

$18.60 ฿615

-58.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 ALL 87.5

$1.80 ฿59.5

-38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 ALL 132

$2.97 ฿98.0

-43.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ALL 38.95

$2.25 ฿74.2

-78.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.48 ALL 1,617

$23.49 ฿776

-12.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ALL 307

$3.10 ฿102

25.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.97 ALL 313

$1.08 ฿35.56

267.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 ALL 394

$3.87 ฿128

28.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 ALL 179

$1.43 ฿47.16

58.74%

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

$34.2K ALL 2.7M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

23.24%

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

$25.5K ALL 2.0M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-5.32%

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

$63.3 ALL 4,998

$105 ฿3,462

-39.62%

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

$16.46 ALL 1,300

$11.39 ฿376

44.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.83 ALL 1,408

$17.54 ฿580

1.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.1 ALL 4,589

$54.3 ฿1,795

6.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.75 ALL 1,007

$11.44 ฿378

11.45%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 ALL 307

$7.78 ฿257

-50.00%

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

$103 ALL 8,134

$576 ฿19.0K

-82.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.62 ALL 2,971

$63.6 ฿2,103

-40.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.63 ALL 2,261

$29.10 ฿961

-1.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.3 ALL 4,054

$96.2 ฿3,179

-46.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.62 ALL 3,524

$90.0 ฿2,974

-50.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 ALL 19.0K

$733 ฿24.2K

-67.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$175 ALL 13.8K

$501 ฿16.5K

-65.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 ALL 22.6K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-86.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 ALL 16.8K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-82.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,915 ALL 151.2K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-45.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,264 ALL 99.9K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-51.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$545 ALL 43.0K

$508 ฿16.8K

7.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Kukes: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $240 in Kukes and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kukes pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $23.00 in Kukes vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $275 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, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 7% 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: $240 in Kukes versus $733 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 15% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $103 in Kukes versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $753 in Kukes versus $1,265 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 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.