Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Galcaio

For one person, living is cheaper in Galcaio: $191 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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

Galcaio

🇸🇴 Somalia

$191

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Galcaio

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $191 in Galcaio, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Galcaio $191

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $309 in Galcaio, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Galcaio $309

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $428 in Galcaio, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Galcaio $428

Phuket costs about 570% more than Galcaio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Galcaio are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Galcaio 86% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.96 SOS 1,683

51.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.11 SOS 2,335

114.36%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$0.98 SOS 555

188.78%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.59 SOS 332

47.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.19 SOS 105

157.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.49 SOS 845

11.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.52 SOS 294

180.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.67 SOS 378

123.88%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.99 SOS 1,698

-30.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$1.96 SOS 1,111

872.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.95 SOS 2,814

-33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.87 SOS 3,333

85.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.05 SOS 1,165

42.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.72 SOS 409

134.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.01 SOS 574

105.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.02 SOS 579

48.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.03 SOS 585

33.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.52 SOS 298

105.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.02 SOS 577

-49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$0.52 SOS 295

707.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$2.05 SOS 1,163

816.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.99 SOS 1,130

-8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.96 SOS 1,115

44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

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 ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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 Galcaio: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Galcaio

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Galcaio

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Galcaio

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Galcaio

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Galcaio

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Galcaio

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Galcaio

–

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇴 Galcaio

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

13:20 1:20 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

61,200

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Somali Shilling SOS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD

1,000 SOS = 1.58 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SOS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Somali Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 568 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 632 SOS (1,000 SOS = 1.58 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Galcaio 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Galcaio

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 Galcaio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 570%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $286 in Galcaio. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $191 in Galcaio. That’s a gap of about 570%.

Groceries cost about 90% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Galcaio, where all-in costs run around $191, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Galcaio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $191 in Galcaio to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.