Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Adama Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Adama

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,113 in Adama, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,782 in Adama, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $2,451 in Adama, rent included.

Phuket costs about 13% more than Adama, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Phuket and Adama are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Adama 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.03 ETB 480

50.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$34.50 ETB 5,468

35.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.10 ETB 808

66.08%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.27 ETB 202

138.58%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.69 ETB 109

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.31 ETB 49.29

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.99 ETB 156

151.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.02 ETB 478

21.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.45 ETB 231

50.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.35 ETB 214

40.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.12 ETB 336

3.77%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.41 ETB 382

-7.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.22 ETB 1,145

176.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$14.10 ETB 2,235

-74.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$13.43 ETB 2,129

-1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$6.75 ETB 1,070

-52.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.96 ETB 152

77.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.19 ETB 347

9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.98 ETB 156

112.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.67 ETB 107

137.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.89 ETB 300

-21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.69 ETB 109

49.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.63 ETB 99.8

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.93 ETB 623

8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.53 ETB 876

239.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.04 ETB 165

69.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.89 ETB 300

46.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.44 ETB 228

118.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.29 ETB 46.09

258.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.05 ETB 324

571.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.29 ETB 205

3.88%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$54.7K ETB 8.7M

-49.37%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$54.7K ETB 8.7M

-38.14%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$162 ETB 25.6K

-23.55%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$11.84 ETB 1,877

14.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$129 ETB 20.4K

-85.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.63 ETB 893

62.34%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$80.5 ETB 12.8K

772.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$40.5K ETB 6.4M

-60.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$46.44 ETB 7,361

28.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$75.1 ETB 11.9K

-53.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$92.3 ETB 14.6K

24.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$112 ETB 17.8K

-25.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$509 ETB 80.6K

21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$302 ETB 47.9K

43.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,005 ETB 159.3K

105.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$791 ETB 125.4K

90.95%

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)

$507 ฿16.5K

$101 ETB 15.9K

404.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-68.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Adama: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $509 in Adama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 404% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Adama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $268 – making Adama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Adama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Phuket, $1,113 in Adama – roughly 13% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,670 in Adama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Adama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $34.00 in Adama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Adama, where all-in costs run around $1,113, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Adama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,113 in Adama to $1,261 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Adama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.