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: $526 in Machakos versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $809 in Machakos versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,092 in Machakos versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Machakos costs roughly 57% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Machakos 62% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 KES 397

$4.41 ฿147

-30.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.14 KES 2,476

$32.26 ฿1,073

-40.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.36 KES 823

$8.93 ฿297

-28.78%

Cappuccino

$1.96 KES 254

$2.90 ฿96.3

-32.41%

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

$0.60 KES 77.3

$0.88 ฿29.27

-31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 KES 69.0

$0.48 ฿16.00

10.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 KES 276

$2.35 ฿78.2

-9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 KES 355

$3.72 ฿124

-26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.38 KES 48.67

$1.87 ฿62.0

-79.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 KES 61.1

$1.47 ฿48.75

-68.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.8

$1.55 ฿51.6

-52.90%

Eggs

$1.38 KES 178

$2.10 ฿69.9

-34.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 KES 1,383

$19.59 ฿651

-45.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.50 KES 841

$3.42 ฿114

90.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.68 KES 606

$11.38 ฿378

-58.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$2.98 ฿99.2

-47.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$1.68 ฿56.0

-51.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.38 KES 48.89

$2.21 ฿73.5

-82.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 KES 48.05

$2.16 ฿71.9

-82.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.52 ฿50.7

-47.37%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.34 ฿44.49

-41.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.0

$1.13 ฿37.53

-38.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 48.70

$0.55 ฿18.17

-30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 KES 439

$4.26 ฿142

-20.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.68 KES 1,512

$19.09 ฿635

-38.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 KES 253

$1.78 ฿59.2

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 KES 366

$2.78 ฿92.5

1.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 KES 102

$3.03 ฿101

-73.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.02 ฿34.02

-22.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 370

$3.89 ฿129

-26.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 KES 186

$1.49 ฿49.57

-4.03%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$26.6K ฿883.8K

-17.55%

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

$20.5K KES 2.6M

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-24.29%

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

$62.6 KES 8,097

$102 ฿3,407

-38.94%

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

$7.54 KES 976

$11.33 ฿377

-33.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.42 KES 1,477

$17.40 ฿578

-34.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 KES 4,988

$52.1 ฿1,732

-25.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 KES 997

$7.69 ฿256

0.26%

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

$46.27 KES 5,988

$561 ฿18.6K

-91.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K KES 1.5M

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-1.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.44 KES 1,480

$63.0 ฿2,096

-81.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.85 KES 3,604

$29.52 ฿982

-5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.0 KES 9,181

$98.0 ฿3,259

-27.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.84 KES 5,026

$88.5 ฿2,943

-56.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$92.3 KES 11.9K

$738 ฿24.5K

-87.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.3 KES 9,094

$482 ฿16.0K

-85.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 20.0K

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-92.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.8K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-90.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$391 KES 50.6K

$494 ฿16.4K

-20.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

5.57

164.09%

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

Last update for Machakos: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $92.3 in Machakos and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 26% 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: $19.00 in Machakos vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $274 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 134% 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, salaries run 26% lower in Phuket. 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: $92.3 in Machakos versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $526 per month in Machakos versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $526 in Machakos versus $1,232 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 $526 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 134% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.