Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kampala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kampala: $616 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Kampala
Learn more

Kampala Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kampala

🇺🇬 Uganda

$616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kampala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $616 in Kampala.

Phuket $1,278
Kampala $616

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $940 in Kampala.

Phuket $2,216
Kampala $940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,263 in Kampala.

Phuket $3,154
Kampala $1,263

Living in Phuket is roughly 108% more expensive than in Kampala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kampala 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.19 UGX 9,620

104.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$22.69 UGX 99.5K

42.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.82 UGX 29.9K

29.18%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.28 UGX 9,994

24.12%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.32 UGX 1,389

171.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.23 UGX 1,003

113.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.14 UGX 4,986

124.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.69 UGX 7,418

117.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.68 UGX 2,983

144.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.80 UGX 3,522

82.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.23 UGX 5,382

21.95%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.47 UGX 6,433

42.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$3.93 UGX 17.3K

385.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.97 UGX 17.4K

-16.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.53 UGX 19.9K

140.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.87 UGX 8,208

56.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.28 UGX 5,595

32.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.15 UGX 5,041

95.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.12 UGX 4,929

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.14 UGX 4,999

32.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.14 UGX 4,991

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.66 UGX 2,902

62.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.45 UGX 1,967

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.17 UGX 9,525

93.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.80 UGX 29.8K

176.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.02 UGX 4,457

78.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.71 UGX 7,481

66.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.69 UGX 3,007

110.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$36.32 UGX 159.3K

56.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.43 UGX 1,905

602.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.29 UGX 1,272

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.81 UGX 12.3K

31.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.25 UGX 5,487

17.60%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$6,811 UGX 29.9M

293.12%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$6,696 UGX 29.4M

298.58%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$64.4 UGX 282.4K

49.64%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$10.73 UGX 47.1K

4.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$32.03 UGX 140.5K

-47.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$50.9 UGX 223.4K

31.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$5.36 UGX 23.5K

100.19%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.87 UGX 30.1K

9.17%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$260 UGX 1.1M

82.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$7,974 UGX 35.0M

41.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$12.71 UGX 55.7K

390.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$11.92 UGX 52.3K

138.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$28.62 UGX 125.5K

229.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$38.91 UGX 170.7K

120.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$458 UGX 2.0M

56.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$151 UGX 662.8K

224.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,151 UGX 5.1M

67.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$269 UGX 1.2M

432.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,194 UGX 5.2M

249.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$922 UGX 4.0M

230.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$160 UGX 701.7K

213.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

20.75

-73.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kampala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kampala

$151 24.5% 69.2% $340

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kampala

$134 21.7% 49.7% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kampala

$107 17.4% 13.9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kampala

$41 6.7% 66% $80

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kampala

$77 12.4% 37.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kampala

$65 10.5% 21.3% $18

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kampala

$41 6.7% 42% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $458 in Kampala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $23 in Kampala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $134 per month, with Kampala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇬 Kampala

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,516,210 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, 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).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4,386 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.28 USD). 1 EUR = 4,882 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.05 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kampala 7,340 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kampala

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 Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 3.1 times higher, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $458 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kampala – a meal for two runs $23 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $616 in Kampala versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kampala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.