Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Lome versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Lome versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,020 in Lome versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Lome costs roughly 17% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lome 22% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 F CFA 1,216

$4.70 ฿153

-54.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 F CFA 17.6K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-31.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 F CFA 3,036

$8.43 ฿275

-36.18%

Cappuccino

$5.61 F CFA 3,168

$2.93 ฿95.6

91.47%

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

$3.46 F CFA 1,953

$0.69 ฿22.40

401.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 F CFA 627

$0.37 ฿11.99

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.84 F CFA 477

$2.41 ฿78.6

-65.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 F CFA 964

$3.72 ฿122

-54.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 F CFA 1,397

$2.23 ฿72.9

11.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 F CFA 748

$1.83 ฿59.8

-27.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 F CFA 1,035

$2.17 ฿70.8

-15.67%

Eggs

$2.10 F CFA 1,184

$2.21 ฿72.3

-4.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.13 F CFA 7,975

$19.74 ฿645

-28.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 F CFA 4,748

$3.63 ฿119

131.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.44 F CFA 5,326

$13.53 ฿442

-30.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 F CFA 1,530

$3.28 ฿107

-17.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 F CFA 845

$1.61 ฿52.6

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 F CFA 1,481

$2.41 ฿78.6

8.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 F CFA 1,402

$2.08 ฿68.1

19.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 F CFA 1,012

$1.53 ฿49.93

16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 981

$1.48 ฿48.36

17.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 F CFA 284

$0.99 ฿32.29

-49.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 482

$0.51 ฿16.67

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.44 F CFA 815

$4.41 ฿144

-67.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 F CFA 2,748

$19.38 ฿633

-74.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 F CFA 749

$1.78 ฿58.1

-25.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 F CFA 855

$2.71 ฿88.6

-44.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 F CFA 204

$1.37 ฿44.79

-73.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 F CFA 30.1K

$11.39 ฿372

367.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 F CFA 1,203

$3.02 ฿98.6

-29.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 F CFA 389

$0.99 ฿32.48

-30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 F CFA 2,938

$14.10 ฿461

-63.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 F CFA 704

$1.36 ฿44.51

-8.09%

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

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-50.15%

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

$26.0K F CFA 14.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.08%

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

$173 F CFA 97.5K

$122 ฿3,975

42.02%

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

$21.89 F CFA 12.4K

$13.57 ฿443

61.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.32 F CFA 25.0K

$18.31 ฿598

142.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 F CFA 28.0K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-17.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.63 F CFA 4,871

$17.14 ฿560

-49.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 F CFA 2,444

$8.69 ฿284

-50.17%

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

$177 F CFA 99.9K

$693 ฿22.6K

-74.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,103 F CFA 2.9M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-67.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.39 F CFA 13.8K

$59.5 ฿1,944

-59.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 F CFA 15.4K

$34.77 ฿1,136

-21.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.14 F CFA 23.8K

$115 ฿3,743

-63.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 F CFA 53.0K

$83.3 ฿2,720

12.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 F CFA 202.9K

$613 ฿20.0K

-41.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 F CFA 126.2K

$437 ฿14.3K

-48.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 F CFA 431.8K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-63.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 F CFA 169.0K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-80.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$267 F CFA 150.6K

$508 ฿16.6K

-47.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

50.09%

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

Last update for Lome: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Lome and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 90% 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: $31.00 in Lome vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $293 per month, with Lome 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

Lome vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Phuket earns 90% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $360 in Lome versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 in Lome versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,047 in Lome versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,047 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lome 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 Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.