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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,121 in Abuja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,034 in Abuja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,947 in Abuja.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Abuja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Abuja 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$2.22 ₦2,940

98.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$30.30 ₦40.1K

6.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$4.44 ₦5,890

101.13%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.33 ₦4,407

-12.91%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.51 ₦682

72.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.71 ₦943

-32.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.07 ₦1,414

119.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.09 ₦2,767

77.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$3.62 ₦4,796

-48.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.31 ₦1,734

12.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.17 ₦2,881

-28.57%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.88 ₦2,489

11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.16 ₦14.8K

75.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.39 ₦7,143

-36.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$5.90 ₦7,824

92.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.07 ₦2,741

43.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.43 ₦1,891

17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.51 ₦2,003

46.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.36 ₦3,131

-8.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.81 ₦2,397

-16.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.49 ₦3,295

-46.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.56 ₦741

101.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.37 ₦492

48.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.02 ₦2,671

110.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.71 ₦7,568

234.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.19 ₦1,583

49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.85 ₦2,452

50.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.36 ₦481

519.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$32.36 ₦42.9K

-29.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.62 ₦821

388.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.88 ₦1,163

15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.87 ₦2,483

108.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$0.54 ₦719

175.93%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$25.8K ₦34.2M

3.00%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$18.2K ₦24.1M

48.65%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$111 ₦146.7K

-7.45%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$6.61 ₦8,758

71.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$28.79 ₦38.2K

-39.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$36.48 ₦48.3K

42.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$11.07 ₦14.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.98 ₦6,603

54.42%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$44.89 ₦59.5K

1148.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$3,151 ₦4.2M

265.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$25.50 ₦33.8K

147.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$60.6 ₦80.3K

-51.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$77.5 ₦102.7K

26.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$106 ₦140.2K

-16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,391 ₦1.8M

-46.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$455 ₦603.4K

5.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$3,403 ₦4.5M

-38.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,533 ₦2.0M

-20.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$701 ₦928.4K

416.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$380 ₦504.1K

584.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$165 ₦218.4K

199.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

22.5

-75.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Abuja: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,391 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 200% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $219 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,121 including rent). Abuja is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 200% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,391 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,121 in Abuja – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Abuja runs roughly 42% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,121 in Abuja versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Abuja but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Abuja 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 Abuja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.