Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cotonou Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cotonou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $978 in Cotonou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,407 in Cotonou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,835 in Cotonou.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than Cotonou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cotonou 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.47 F CFA 1,948

33.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.93 F CFA 15.1K

73.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.24 F CFA 2,940

68.70%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$5.52 F CFA 3,097

-45.65%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.86 F CFA 483

-13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.78 F CFA 435

-52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.45 F CFA 814

68.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.49 F CFA 1,956

3.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$2.65 F CFA 1,486

-14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.38 F CFA 774

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.85 F CFA 1,037

21.08%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.18 F CFA 1,221

6.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.23 F CFA 5,179

113.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.93 F CFA 2,763

-25.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.13 F CFA 2,877

155.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.89 F CFA 2,183

-12.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.37 F CFA 771

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.27 F CFA 710

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.77 F CFA 991

14.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.41 F CFA 789

10.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.45 F CFA 811

3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.48 F CFA 267

112.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.28 F CFA 718

-61.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.33 F CFA 1,309

90.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.52 F CFA 3,659

189.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.24 F CFA 698

43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.28 F CFA 1,281

20.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.80 F CFA 1,012

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.44 F CFA 810

116.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.26 F CFA 705

-20.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$1.79 F CFA 1,005

687.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.06 F CFA 595

27.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.3K F CFA 13.6M

35.54%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$269 F CFA 150.9K

-53.55%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$44.80 F CFA 25.1K

-69.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$55.5 F CFA 31.1K

-66.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$58.9 F CFA 33.0K

4.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.44 F CFA 3,051

209.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.53 F CFA 4,221

22.05%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$189 F CFA 106.1K

269.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,522 F CFA 3.7M

139.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$17.58 F CFA 9,863

228.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$8.64 F CFA 4,846

307.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$9.04 F CFA 5,070

1151.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$49.26 F CFA 27.6K

75.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$202 F CFA 113.3K

204.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$149 F CFA 83.6K

199.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$577 F CFA 323.7K

254.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$285 F CFA 159.7K

424.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cotonou: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $202 in Cotonou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Cotonou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $214 per month, with Cotonou 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 Cotonou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,467 in Cotonou 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $202 in Cotonou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $978 in Cotonou – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Cotonou versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cotonou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cotonou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cotonou 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 Cotonou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.