Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bungoma

For one person, living is cheaper in Bungoma: $144 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bungoma

🇰🇪 Kenya

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bungoma

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 Bungoma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $144 in Bungoma.

Phuket $1,278
Bungoma $144

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $290 in Bungoma.

Phuket $2,216
Bungoma $290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $436 in Bungoma.

Phuket $3,154
Bungoma $436

Living in Phuket is roughly 787% more expensive than in Bungoma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bungoma 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.49 KES 712

-48.45%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.57 KES 204

63.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.68 KES 218

119.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.24 KES 161

68.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$3.17 KES 411

-7.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.97 KES 125

74.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.57 KES 204

15.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.68 KES 218

69.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.40 KES 182

5.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$29.15 KES 3,783

-42.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$169 KES 21.9K

748.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bungoma: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bungoma

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bungoma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bungoma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bungoma

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bungoma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bungoma

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bungoma

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇪 Bungoma

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

17:15 5:15 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

60,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bungoma 7,120 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bungoma

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 Bungoma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bungoma is about 89% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $216 in Bungoma to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 604% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $144 in Bungoma – Bungoma is about 89% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $144 in Bungoma versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bungoma but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bungoma 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 Bungoma are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.