Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Cairo and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in New Cairo: $677 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

New Cairo, Egypt
Phuket, Thailand
New Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$677
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New Cairo and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New Cairo and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $677 in New Cairo versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • New Cairo $677
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,026 in New Cairo versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • New Cairo $1,026
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,375 in New Cairo versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • New Cairo $1,375
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in New Cairo costs roughly 47% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: New Cairo 50% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
New Cairo
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.44 E£304
$4.47 ฿151
21.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.75 E£1,329
$32.41 ฿1,093
-26.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.48 E£307
$8.81 ฿297
-37.80%
Cappuccino
$1.94 E£108
$2.83 ฿95.4
-31.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 E£20.21
$0.87 ฿29.41
-58.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 E£7.39
$0.49 ฿16.65
-73.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.72 E£152
$2.56 ฿86.3
6.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 E£173
$3.68 ฿124
-15.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
New Cairo
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.91 E£50.7
$1.66 ฿55.9
-45.18%
White Bread (500g)
$0.98 E£55.0
$1.46 ฿49.31
-32.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.74 E£41.34
$1.50 ฿50.5
-50.67%
Eggs
$1.34 E£75.1
$2.09 ฿70.5
-35.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.04 E£226
$19.07 ฿643
-78.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.90 E£274
$3.30 ฿111
48.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.05 E£450
$10.91 ฿368
-26.21%
Apples (1kg)
$1.61 E£90.4
$2.93 ฿98.9
-45.05%
Banana (1kg)
$0.69 E£38.73
$1.69 ฿57.0
-59.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.50 E£27.95
$2.25 ฿75.8
-77.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.35 E£19.53
$2.08 ฿70.0
-83.17%
Potato (1kg)
$0.33 E£18.48
$1.51 ฿51.0
-78.15%
Onion (1kg)
$0.48 E£26.80
$1.38 ฿46.52
-65.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.19 E£10.71
$1.07 ฿35.96
-82.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.20 E£11.18
$0.52 ฿17.51
-61.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.85 E£103
$4.20 ฿142
-55.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.11 E£510
$18.79 ฿634
-51.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 E£70.6
$1.82 ฿61.5
-30.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 E£109
$2.84 ฿95.8
-31.69%
🚌 Getting Around
New Cairo
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.16 E£8.95
$1.45 ฿48.98
-88.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.51 E£28.34
$3.02 ฿102
-83.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.18 E£10.09
$1.02 ฿34.33
-82.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.62 E£203
$3.69 ฿125
-1.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.43 E£24.07
$1.47 ฿49.76
-70.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.9K E£1.7M
$26.8K ฿903.4K
11.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K E£1.4M
$26.7K ฿900.5K
-7.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Cairo
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.48 E£2,153
$96.4 ฿3,251
-60.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.12 E£510
$11.26 ฿380
-19.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$13.53 E£757
$16.85 ฿568
-19.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
New Cairo
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.42 E£1,534
$67.2 ฿2,268
-59.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.80 E£324
$10.73 ฿362
-45.95%
Cinema Ticket
$3.11 E£174
$7.50 ฿253
-58.53%
🧸 Childcare & Education
New Cairo
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$168 E£9,424
$476 ฿16.1K
-64.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,338 E£242.7K
$11.3K ฿380.0K
-61.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
New Cairo
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.59 E£2,383
$62.4 ฿2,104
-31.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.8 E£2,840
$28.41 ฿958
78.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 E£5,971
$94.3 ฿3,181
13.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.8 E£2,954
$85.8 ฿2,895
-38.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
New Cairo
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$289 E£16.2K
$716 ฿24.2K
-59.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$224 E£12.5K
$491 ฿16.6K
-54.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$504 E£28.2K
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-73.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$335 E£18.7K
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-76.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,115 E£62.4K
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-73.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$629 E£35.2K
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-79.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
New Cairo
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$177 E£9,900
$502 ฿16.9K
-64.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.4
5.57
104.67%

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

Last update for New Cairo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
New Cairo
$224
Phuket
$491 119% $267
Groceries & Markets
New Cairo
$138
Phuket
$266 93.6% $129
Clothing & Footwear
New Cairo
$114
Phuket
$122 7.1% $8.1
Eating Out
New Cairo
$105
Phuket
$122 15.9% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
New Cairo
$61
Phuket
$124 104% $63
Sport & Entertainment
New Cairo
$34
Phuket
$82 144% $49
Getting Around
New Cairo
$2.1 *
Phuket
$71 3343% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $289 in New Cairo and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $24 in New Cairo vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $138 vs $266 per month, with New Cairo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇬 New Cairo
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
02:46 2:46 AM
07:46 7:46 AM
5 h ahead of New Cairo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
298,343
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55.95 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.47 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • New Cairo Phuket 7,350 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • New Cairo
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
New Cairo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, New Cairo or Phuket?
New Cairo wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making New Cairo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in New Cairo or in Phuket?
On paper, salaries run 65% lower in New Cairo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in New Cairo compared to Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $289 in New Cairo versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in New Cairo or in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in New Cairo compared to Phuket?
All in, you’ll spend $677 per month in New Cairo versus $1,278 in Phuket – New Cairo is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in New Cairo or in Phuket?
At $677 in New Cairo versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in New Cairo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes New Cairo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: New Cairo or Phuket?
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.
How safe is New Cairo compared to Phuket?
Safety-wise, New Cairo and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to New Cairo or to Phuket?
It comes down to priorities – New Cairo wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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