Cost of Living Comparison Between Limbe and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Limbe and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Limbe versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,560 in Limbe versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,197 in Limbe versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Limbe costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Limbe 32% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.38 FCFA 2,500

$4.41 ฿147

-0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$125 FCFA 71.2K

$32.26 ฿1,074

286.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 FCFA 4,103

$8.93 ฿297

-19.48%

Cappuccino

$1.11 FCFA 635

$2.90 ฿96.4

-61.72%

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

$1.56 FCFA 889

$0.88 ฿29.30

77.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 FCFA 466

$0.48 ฿16.01

70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 FCFA 723

$2.35 ฿78.3

-45.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 FCFA 1,491

$3.72 ฿124

-29.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.66 FCFA 1,519

$1.87 ฿62.1

42.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 FCFA 255

$1.47 ฿48.81

-69.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 FCFA 952

$1.55 ฿51.7

7.74%

Eggs

$1.99 FCFA 1,138

$2.10 ฿70.0

-5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 FCFA 5,473

$19.59 ฿652

-51.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 FCFA 2,746

$3.42 ฿114

40.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 FCFA 3,783

$11.38 ฿379

-41.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 FCFA 1,124

$2.98 ฿99.3

-33.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 FCFA 652

$1.68 ฿56.1

-32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 FCFA 1,130

$2.21 ฿73.5

-10.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 FCFA 812

$2.16 ฿72.0

-34.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 FCFA 1,137

$1.52 ฿50.8

30.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 FCFA 1,273

$1.34 ฿44.55

66.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 FCFA 441

$1.13 ฿37.57

-31.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 FCFA 358

$0.55 ฿18.19

14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 FCFA 1,480

$4.26 ฿142

-39.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 FCFA 4,984

$19.09 ฿635

-54.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 FCFA 860

$1.78 ฿59.2

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 FCFA 1,068

$2.78 ฿92.6

-32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 FCFA 483

$2.23 ฿74.2

-61.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.65 FCFA 15.2K

$22.74 ฿757

17.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.55 FCFA 313

$3.03 ฿101

-81.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 FCFA 132

$1.02 ฿34.06

-77.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 FCFA 996

$3.89 ฿130

-55.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 FCFA 650

$1.49 ฿49.63

-23.49%

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

$30.6K FCFA 17.4M

$26.6K ฿884.9K

15.02%

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

$16.1K FCFA 9.2M

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-40.53%

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

$89.7 FCFA 51.2K

$102 ฿3,411

-12.49%

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

$26.16 FCFA 14.9K

$11.33 ฿377

130.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.2 FCFA 48.0K

$17.40 ฿579

383.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.06 FCFA 25.1K

$52.1 ฿1,734

-15.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$4.47 FCFA 2,554

$7.69 ฿256

-41.87%

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

$348 FCFA 198.6K

$561 ฿18.7K

-37.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,747 FCFA 996.8K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-84.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 FCFA 47.4K

$63.0 ฿2,098

31.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.0 FCFA 38.8K

$29.52 ฿983

130.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 FCFA 82.7K

$98.0 ฿3,263

47.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 FCFA 87.7K

$88.5 ฿2,946

73.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 FCFA 78.8K

$482 ฿16.1K

-71.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 FCFA 79.9K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-88.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.04

5.57

241.83%

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

Last update for Limbe: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $125 in Limbe vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $200 vs $274, with Limbe 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

Limbe vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Limbe and Phuket differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($924 vs $1,232 including rent). Limbe is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,386 in Limbe and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Limbe – a meal for two runs $125 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $924 in Limbe versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Limbe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Limbe 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, Limbe 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 Limbe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.