Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Addis Ababa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Addis Ababa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,083 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,783 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Addis Ababa is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.55 ETB 724

3.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$35.04 ETB 5,574

29.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.41 ETB 1,019

31.51%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.24 ETB 198

136.29%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.69 ETB 110

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.43 ETB 68.3

-13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.99 ETB 157

143.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.97 ETB 472

25.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.44 ETB 230

54.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.33 ETB 212

37.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$2.17 ETB 346

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.43 ETB 387

-9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.29 ETB 1,159

170.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$13.73 ETB 2,184

-73.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.09 ETB 2,082

3.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$6.68 ETB 1,063

-50.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.98 ETB 156

64.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.19 ETB 348

10.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.99 ETB 158

110.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.68 ETB 108

125.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.81 ETB 288

-18.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.68 ETB 109

45.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.64 ETB 102

-20.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.02 ETB 639

9.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$5.77 ETB 918

235.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.99 ETB 158

79.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.89 ETB 301

43.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.43 ETB 68.6

218.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$12.21 ETB 1,943

-6.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.48 ETB 236

104.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.27 ETB 42.56

266.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.05 ETB 326

587.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.24 ETB 197

9.68%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$55.4K ETB 8.8M

-49.12%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$54.0K ETB 8.6M

-39.08%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$157 ETB 25.0K

-22.56%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.11 ETB 1,927

12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$129 ETB 20.5K

-85.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$69.5 ETB 11.1K

-13.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$36.71 ETB 5,841

-53.31%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.86 ETB 932

48.29%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$81.1 ETB 12.9K

754.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$41.1K ETB 6.5M

-61.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$46.81 ETB 7,447

27.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$74.1 ETB 11.8K

-53.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$93.3 ETB 14.8K

22.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$115 ETB 18.4K

-27.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$758 ETB 120.7K

-19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$495 ETB 78.8K

-11.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,819 ETB 289.5K

15.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$890 ETB 141.5K

69.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,981 ETB 315.1K

89.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,009 ETB 160.5K

159.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$206 ETB 32.8K

146.18%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $758 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 146% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $265 per month, with Addis Ababa 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 Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Addis Ababa differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,383 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 146% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $758 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 7% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. 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 Addis Ababa 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 9% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.