Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Addis Ababa

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Addis Ababa: $1,278 and $1,300 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Addis Ababa
Learn more

Addis Ababa Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Addis Ababa

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Addis Ababa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,300 in Addis Ababa.

Phuket $1,278
Addis Ababa $1,300

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,914 in Addis Ababa.

Phuket $2,216
Addis Ababa $1,914

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,528 in Addis Ababa.

Phuket $3,154
Addis Ababa $2,528

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Addis Ababa; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Addis Ababa 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.07 ETB 654

9.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$42.77 ETB 6,881

-24.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.63 ETB 1,067

32.88%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$0.88 ETB 141

221.59%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.58 ETB 93.8

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.64 ETB 103

-23.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$0.77 ETB 124

232.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.23 ETB 359

65.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.07 ETB 172

55.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.16 ETB 186

25.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.17 ETB 349

-30.88%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.79 ETB 287

16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.51 ETB 1,209

153.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.28 ETB 1,654

-67.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.49 ETB 1,527

14.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$5.25 ETB 844

-44.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.64 ETB 102

164.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.12 ETB 341

6.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.65 ETB 105

220.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.50 ETB 81.0

202.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.08 ETB 174

27.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.69 ETB 111

55.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.58 ETB 92.7

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$8.01 ETB 1,289

-47.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.68 ETB 914

230.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.67 ETB 108

171.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.22 ETB 196

132.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.51 ETB 82.6

184.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$21.05 ETB 3,387

169.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.29 ETB 208

134.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.29 ETB 47.28

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$1.96 ETB 315

88.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.96 ETB 155

53.13%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$55.7K ETB 9.0M

-51.90%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$56.1K ETB 9.0M

-52.44%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$202 ETB 32.5K

-52.34%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$7.50 ETB 1,206

50.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$213 ETB 34.3K

-92.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$44.97 ETB 7,236

49.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$36.87 ETB 5,933

-70.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.77 ETB 607

98.94%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$633 ETB 101.9K

-24.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$30.5K ETB 4.9M

-63.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$32.81 ETB 5,279

90.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$69.5 ETB 11.2K

-59.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$77.5 ETB 12.5K

21.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$82.9 ETB 13.3K

3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$707 ETB 113.8K

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$392 ETB 63.0K

25.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,299 ETB 369.9K

-16.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$774 ETB 124.5K

84.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,976 ETB 318.0K

111.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,025 ETB 165.0K

196.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$200 ETB 32.2K

150.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.5

-69.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Addis Ababa

$392 30.1% 20.2% $99

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Addis Ababa

$213 16.4% 20.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Addis Ababa

$423 32.5% 240% $298

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Addis Ababa

$118 9.1% 3% $3.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Addis Ababa

$76 5.9% 37.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Addis Ababa

$53 4% 36.1% $30

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Addis Ababa

$26 2% 63.3% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $707 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $43 in Addis Ababa. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $213, with Addis Ababa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇹 Addis Ababa

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

07:30 7:30 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

3,500,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.57 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Addis Ababa 6,550 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Addis Ababa

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

Phuket vs Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay in Phuket is about 2.5 times higher, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $707 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 63% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Addis Ababa pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Phuket gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.