Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Garissa

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

$1,207

/mo nomad

Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Garissa

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $381 in Garissa, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Garissa $381

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $667 in Garissa, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Garissa $667

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $952 in Garissa, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Garissa $952

Phuket costs about 217% more than Garissa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Garissa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Garissa 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$11.79 KES 1,528

-61.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$23.02 KES 2,984

41.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$7.73 KES 1,002

-64.81%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.88 KES 244

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.13 KES 147

-56.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.52 KES 66.9

234.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.59 KES 76.9

142.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.47 KES 191

4.08%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.92 KES 249

13.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$6.10 KES 791

-45.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$5.39 KES 698

106.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$3.78 KES 490

-21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$3.11 KES 403

-45.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$4.69 KES 608

-50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.79 KES 102

169.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.22 KES 158

25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.57 KES 204

-13.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$2.37 KES 307

-52.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.56 KES 72.3

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$5.71 KES 741

218.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.67 KES 217

4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.82 KES 496

-26.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

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

$11.28 ฿377

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$129 KES 16.8K

281.41%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Garissa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Garissa

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Garissa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Garissa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Garissa

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Garissa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Garissa

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Garissa

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 281% 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 $23.00 in Garissa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $182 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇪 Garissa

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

00:28 12:28 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

119,696

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 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 October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Garissa 6,580 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Garissa

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 Garissa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $381 in Garissa – roughly 217% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $572 in Garissa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $23.00 in Garissa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $381 in Garissa. That's a gap of about 217%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Garissa, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Garissa 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 $381 in Garissa to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Garissa. 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.