Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $443 in Machakos versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $754 in Machakos versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,065 in Machakos versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Machakos costs roughly 65% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Machakos 67% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 KES 303

$4.56 ฿149

-48.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.41 KES 4,980

$46.63 ฿1,519

-17.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 KES 893

$8.47 ฿276

-18.65%

Cappuccino

$1.95 KES 252

$3.03 ฿98.6

-35.64%

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

$0.69 KES 90.1

$0.69 ฿22.45

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 KES 65.7

$0.37 ฿11.92

37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 KES 243

$2.49 ฿81.0

-24.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 359

$3.66 ฿119

-24.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.40 KES 52.4

$2.18 ฿71.0

-81.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 56.9

$1.90 ฿62.0

-76.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 KES 97.9

$2.20 ฿71.6

-65.45%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 176

$2.22 ฿72.4

-38.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 KES 1,490

$19.99 ฿651

-42.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 KES 878

$3.66 ฿119

84.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.75 KES 615

$13.25 ฿432

-64.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 KES 198

$3.23 ฿105

-52.63%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 KES 96.9

$1.70 ฿55.3

-55.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 KES 48.26

$2.39 ฿78.0

-84.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.38 KES 49.23

$2.08 ฿67.7

-81.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.59 ฿51.8

-49.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.48 ฿48.31

-47.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 83.7

$1.03 ฿33.54

-36.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 48.81

$0.52 ฿16.83

-26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.11 KES 404

$4.25 ฿138

-26.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 KES 1,498

$18.79 ฿612

-38.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 257

$1.76 ฿57.2

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 356

$2.76 ฿89.8

-0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 KES 95.2

$3.14 ฿102

-76.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 KES 103

$1.04 ฿33.74

-23.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KES 384

$13.77 ฿448

-78.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 KES 196

$1.34 ฿43.79

12.69%

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

$22.0K KES 2.8M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-20.64%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-41.97%

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

$34.62 KES 4,489

$124 ฿4,025

-71.99%

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

$7.56 KES 980

$13.52 ฿440

-44.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.64 KES 1,510

$18.69 ฿609

-37.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 KES 813

$9.14 ฿298

-31.40%

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

$46.87 KES 6,077

$703 ฿22.9K

-93.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,961 KES 1.0M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-49.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.72 KES 1,520

$59.5 ฿1,937

-80.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.84 KES 3,091

$35.07 ฿1,142

-32.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 KES 8,497

$115 ฿3,754

-43.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.27 KES 4,962

$84.1 ฿2,737

-54.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.1 KES 12.1K

$619 ฿20.1K

-84.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$68.7 KES 8,910

$433 ฿14.1K

-84.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 KES 19.7K

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-92.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 KES 15.3K

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-92.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$393 KES 50.9K

$507 ฿16.5K

-22.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

5.33

178.42%

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

Last update for Machakos: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $93.1 in Machakos and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 29% 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: $38.00 in Machakos vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $293 per month, with Machakos 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

Machakos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 185% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Phuket earns 29% 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: $93.1 in Machakos versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $443 per month in Machakos versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $443 in Machakos versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Machakos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $443 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Machakos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.