Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kastamonu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kastamonu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,129 in Kastamonu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,781 in Kastamonu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,433 in Kastamonu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than Kastamonu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Kastamonu 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$9.32 ₺419

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$38.70 ₺1,740

20.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$8.89 ₺400

-2.36%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$3.28 ₺147

-10.06%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.21 ₺54.4

-42.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.39 ₺17.41

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$3.24 ₺146

-21.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.76 ₺169

0.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$0.96 ₺43.10

131.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.71 ₺31.86

153.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$2.30 ₺103

-4.78%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.34 ₺105

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$9.44 ₺424

104.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$6.02 ₺271

-37.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$19.63 ₺883

-32.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.45 ₺65.1

129.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$2.27 ₺102

-27.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.25 ₺56.4

83.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.53 ₺68.9

30.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.69 ₺31.10

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.56 ₺25.23

169.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.13 ₺50.7

-8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.40 ₺17.96

27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.14 ₺96.2

106.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$7.74 ₺348

150.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$2.08 ₺93.6

-13.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$3.14 ₺141

-14.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.66 ₺29.85

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$30.80 ₺1,384

-62.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.92 ₺41.15

230.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.61 ₺27.50

70.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.33 ₺284

116.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.19 ₺53.3

9.24%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$42.7K ₺1.9M

-34.73%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$43.9K ₺2.0M

-24.67%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$86.8 ₺3,901

41.69%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$10.63 ₺478

30.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$13.72 ₺617

37.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$44.13 ₺1,983

38.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$6.44 ₺289

37.73%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$598 ₺26.9K

16.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$13.8K ₺621.8K

16.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$57.7 ₺2,591

2.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$45.13 ₺2,029

-22.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$106 ₺4,743

7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$95.9 ₺4,309

-11.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$510 ₺22.9K

20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$390 ₺17.6K

14.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$903 ₺40.6K

130.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$698 ₺31.4K

114.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,370 ₺61.6K

172.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$967 ₺43.5K

175.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$1,356 ₺61.0K

-60.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-86.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Kastamonu: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $510 in Kastamonu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kastamonu pays 154% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $39 in Kastamonu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $231 per month, with Kastamonu 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 Kastamonu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kastamonu differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $1,129 including rent). Kastamonu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kastamonu earns 154% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $510 in Kastamonu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Phuket versus $1,129 in Kastamonu – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kastamonu runs roughly 163% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,129 in Kastamonu versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kastamonu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kastamonu 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kastamonu 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 Kastamonu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.