Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Garowe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Garowe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $518 in Garowe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $758 in Garowe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $998 in Garowe.

Living in Phuket is roughly 144% more expensive than Garowe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Garowe 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$1.94 SOS 1,104

142.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$8.91 SOS 5,061

409.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$3.07 SOS 1,746

174.59%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.18 SOS 1,240

34.40%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.47 SOS 836

-53.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.22 SOS 123

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$14.23 SOS 8,083

-83.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.02 SOS 580

118.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.41 SOS 234

346.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.86 SOS 490

152.33%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.33 SOS 1,326

-5.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.98 SOS 1,694

21.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$3.90 SOS 2,215

246.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.95 SOS 1,105

68.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.53 SOS 870

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.22 SOS 695

97.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.89 SOS 505

133.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.67 SOS 378

128.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.71 SOS 406

108.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.83 SOS 473

19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.92 SOS 522

-44.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$0.98 SOS 559

350.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.31 SOS 177

341.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.47 SOS 836

105.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.97 SOS 2,822

183.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿3,978

$119 SOS 67.9K

1.86%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.99 SOS 5,674

35.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$49.08 SOS 27.9K

-62.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$19.94 SOS 11.3K

202.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$34.75 SOS 19.7K

1895.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$20.22 SOS 11.5K

194.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.47 SOS 17.3K

14.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$15.16 SOS 8,611

655.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$90.6 SOS 51.5K

576.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$61.0 SOS 34.7K

616.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$352 SOS 199.7K

495.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$180 SOS 102.5K

736.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$398 SOS 226.2K

27.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Garowe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $90.6 in Garowe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $9.00 in Garowe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $100 per month, with Garowe 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 Garowe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garowe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 28% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $90.6 in Garowe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $34.75 in Garowe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Garowe – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $518 in Garowe versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Garowe but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Garowe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Garowe 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 Garowe 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 Garowe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.