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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $666 in Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $1,045 in Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $1,425 in Cairo, rent included.

Phuket costs about 90% more than Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Cairo are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Cairo 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.92 E£253

-5.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.75 E£1,526

8.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.98 E£307

45.15%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.80 E£92.3

61.11%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.35 E£18.09

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.13 E£6.79

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.49 E£76.3

66.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.33 E£120

60.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.99 E£51.0

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.81 E£41.80

74.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.73 E£37.28

121.92%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.21 E£62.0

85.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$4.33 E£222

358.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.16 E£265

-32.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.35 E£480

21.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.81 E£92.8

60.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.79 E£40.64

117.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.61 E£31.36

272.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.54 E£27.47

294.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.39 E£20.00

276.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.42 E£21.52

238.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.34 E£17.32

223.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.24 E£12.34

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.10 E£108

105.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.91 E£406

135.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.61 E£82.7

11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.15 E£111

38.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.34 E£17.40

561.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$7.76 E£398

202.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.37 E£19.18

737.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.22 E£11.09

390.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$1.60 E£82.0

141.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.46 E£23.68

210.87%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$34.3K E£1.8M

-19.05%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$28.6K E£1.5M

-5.79%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$27.11 E£1,391

286.57%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$8.38 E£430

35.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$13.70 E£703

28.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$25.48 E£1,308

113.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$6.81 E£350

67.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.17 E£214

86.57%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$111 E£5,713

417.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$3,425 E£175.7K

238.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$44.85 E£2,301

41.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$47.37 E£2,431

-38.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$116 E£5,975

-17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$61.7 E£3,164

45.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$215 E£11.0K

240.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$201 E£10.3K

148.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$524 E£26.9K

305.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$347 E£17.8K

261.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$801 E£41.1K

340.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$515 E£26.4K

409.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$211 E£10.8K

141.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

16.21

-65.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cairo: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $733 in Phuket versus $215 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 141% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $30.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $146 – 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 90%, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $999 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 88% 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $30.00 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 $666, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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.