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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $1,078 in Adama, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,761 in Adama, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $2,443 in Adama, rent included.

Phuket costs about 17% more than Adama, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Phuket and Adama are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Adama 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.02 ETB 483

48.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$35.39 ETB 5,651

28.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.97 ETB 794

76.26%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.25 ETB 199

137.60%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.64 ETB 102

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.31 ETB 50.2

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$0.98 ETB 157

158.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.94 ETB 469

27.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.38 ETB 221

55.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.33 ETB 213

36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.15 ETB 343

1.40%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.50 ETB 399

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$6.94 ETB 1,109

188.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$14.03 ETB 2,241

-74.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$13.32 ETB 2,128

1.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$6.70 ETB 1,070

-51.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.02 ETB 163

60.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$2.25 ETB 359

3.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.97 ETB 154

113.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.68 ETB 108

127.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.84 ETB 294

-20.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.64 ETB 102

53.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.64 ETB 102

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.89 ETB 622

11.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.66 ETB 903

228.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.00 ETB 160

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.82 ETB 291

45.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.50 ETB 240

111.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.29 ETB 46.69

255.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$1.97 ETB 315

605.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.29 ETB 206

3.88%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$54.7K ETB 8.7M

-49.21%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$53.5K ETB 8.5M

-37.57%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$158 ETB 25.3K

-22.26%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$12.11 ETB 1,934

13.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$132 ETB 21.1K

-86.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.64 ETB 900

57.27%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$81.5 ETB 13.0K

743.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$40.5K ETB 6.5M

-61.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$47.27 ETB 7,549

25.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$76.1 ETB 12.2K

-54.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$92.8 ETB 14.8K

24.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$116 ETB 18.6K

-28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$494 ETB 78.9K

25.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$304 ETB 48.6K

46.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$988 ETB 157.7K

105.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$794 ETB 126.8K

88.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$101 ETB 16.2K

386.37%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Adama: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $494 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 386% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Adama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $266 – 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: $1,264 in Phuket, $1,078 in Adama – roughly 17% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,617 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 $46.00 in Phuket and $35.00 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 $1,078, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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 $1,078 in Adama to $1,264 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.