Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Abuja Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Abuja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,650 in Abuja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,777 in Abuja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,905 in Abuja.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in Abuja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Abuja is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.02 ₦2,760

121.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$44.61 ₦60.9K

2.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.61 ₦7,652

56.15%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.56 ₦3,498

16.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.50 ₦688

38.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.39 ₦526

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.06 ₦1,444

138.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.18 ₦1,612

217.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$3.12 ₦4,253

-31.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.30 ₦1,769

40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.41 ₦3,294

-9.54%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.49 ₦2,030

51.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.12 ₦6,982

290.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.62 ₦6,306

-21.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$3.84 ₦5,244

253.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.97 ₦4,046

9.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.70 ₦2,315

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.16 ₦2,948

7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.77 ₦2,414

16.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.04 ₦2,784

-24.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.54 ₦3,470

-42.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.57 ₦775

71.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.31 ₦428

54.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.52 ₦3,438

72.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.74 ₦7,824

223.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.05 ₦1,438

77.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.45 ₦1,983

82.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.68 ₦932

108.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.86 ₦1,171

268.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.04 ₦1,417

-0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$4.27 ₦5,821

225.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.83 ₦1,131

61.45%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

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

$123 ฿4,105

$30.33 ₦41.4K

305.70%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$11.03 ₦15.1K

24.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$41.89 ₦57.2K

-56.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$45.38 ₦61.9K

33.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$10.65 ₦14.5K

61.13%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$8.22 ₦11.2K

7.91%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$133 ₦181.8K

416.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,974 ₦2.7M

699.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$30.26 ₦41.3K

95.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$29.11 ₦39.7K

19.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$67.6 ₦92.2K

70.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$86.9 ₦118.5K

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$2,445 ₦3.3M

-74.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$1,158 ₦1.6M

-61.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$5,503 ₦7.5M

-63.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$2,717 ₦3.7M

-44.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$700 ₦955.1K

393.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$366 ₦499.0K

591.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$167 ₦228.1K

195.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

22.5

-76.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Abuja: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $2,445 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 195% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $189 per month, with Abuja 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

Phuket vs Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Abuja differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $1,650 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 195% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $2,445 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $133 in Abuja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $45.00 in Abuja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,650 in Abuja, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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, Phuket and Abuja 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.