Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $532 in Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $856 in Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,181 in Cairo, rent included.

Phuket costs about 137% more than Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Cairo 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.00 E£204

14.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$19.64 E£1,003

137.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.87 E£249

73.92%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.53 E£78.2

98.04%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.33 E£17.07

109.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.14 E£7.23

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.34 E£68.5

85.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.73 E£139

34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.88 E£45.14

147.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.60 E£30.45

216.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.70 E£35.70

214.29%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.46 E£74.7

52.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$3.44 E£176

481.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.15 E£212

-11.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.52 E£435

55.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.56 E£79.8

107.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.56 E£28.83

203.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.48 E£24.34

397.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.42 E£21.21

395.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.46 E£23.69

245.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.43 E£21.99

244.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.22 E£11.16

368.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.23 E£11.68

126.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.01 E£103

111.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.51 E£384

150.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.28 E£65.3

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.70 E£86.7

62.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.31 E£16.02

338.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$5.94 E£304

91.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.39 E£19.68

705.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.29 E£14.64

258.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$0.95 E£48.29

1349.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.31 E£15.68

332.26%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$36.4K E£1.9M

-23.90%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$30.2K E£1.5M

12.22%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$25.81 E£1,318

378.85%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.30 E£424

62.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$12.52 E£639

49.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$15.66 E£800

294.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$6.71 E£343

157.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.60 E£184

153.89%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$91.7 E£4,682

666.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,007 E£102.5K

690.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$31.34 E£1,600

89.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$43.96 E£2,245

-20.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$105 E£5,349

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$59.8 E£3,053

40.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$202 E£10.3K

205.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$129 E£6,608

234.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$412 E£21.1K

400.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$251 E£12.8K

501.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$845 E£43.2K

331.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$470 E£24.0K

458.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$188 E£9,626

168.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.67

-68.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cairo: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $202 in Cairo. 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 169% 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 $20.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $126 – making Cairo 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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 137%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $797 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 132% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $20.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $532, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Cairo. 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.