Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $985 in Jos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,362 in Jos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,739 in Jos, rent included.

Phuket costs about 28% more than Jos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Phuket and Jos are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Jos 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.31 ₦1,782

248.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$13.94 ₦18.9K

234.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.60 ₦6,256

84.13%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.37 ₦3,224

27.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.37 ₦507

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.23 ₦310

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.74 ₦1,001

236.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$3.53 ₦4,798

-38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.89 ₦1,212

113.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.28 ₦4,458

-32.93%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.92 ₦3,970

-23.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.98 ₦13.6K

100.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.95 ₦6,726

-26.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$4.56 ₦6,195

190.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.93 ₦5,347

-17.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$4.86 ₦6,602

-65.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.72 ₦3,696

-12.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.90 ₦5,296

-46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.20 ₦2,985

-27.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.97 ₦2,675

-24.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.59 ₦807

74.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.76 ₦1,029

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.69 ₦933

155.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.98 ₦1,332

220.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$10.17 ₦13.8K

35.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.90 ₦1,221

48.89%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

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

$124 ฿4,025

$101 ₦137.3K

22.44%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$9.82 ₦13.3K

37.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$40.62 ₦55.2K

52.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$11.88 ₦16.1K

45.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$8.82 ₦12.0K

3.63%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,018 ₦1.4M

1459.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$10.10 ₦13.7K

488.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$14.78 ₦20.1K

137.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$50.7 ₦69.0K

127.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$49.83 ₦67.8K

68.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$714 ₦970.5K

-13.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$478 ₦649.9K

-9.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$859 ₦1.2M

139.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$588 ₦799.7K

156.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,987 ₦2.7M

83.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,503 ₦2.0M

74.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$68.4 ₦93.0K

641.55%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Jos: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $714 in Jos. 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 642% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $14.00 in Jos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $242 – making Jos 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 Jos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Phuket, $985 in Jos – roughly 28% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,478 in Jos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $14.00 in Jos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $985 in Jos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jos, where all-in costs run around $985, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Jos 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 $985 in Jos to $1,261 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 Jos. 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.