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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $984 in Kastamonu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,612 in Kastamonu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,240 in Kastamonu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than in Kastamonu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Kastamonu 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.01 ₺391

-44.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$62.9 ₺3,068

-48.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.60 ₺371

17.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.26 ₺159

-11.04%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.97 ₺47.24

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.25 ₺12.11

92.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.94 ₺94.4

21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.69 ₺131

38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.17 ₺57.1

59.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.73 ₺84.4

-15.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$2.82 ₺137

-45.04%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.99 ₺97.3

5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.81 ₺429

122.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.99 ₺194

-14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$24.12 ₺1,176

-52.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.44 ₺119

22.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.83 ₺89.0

-8.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.53 ₺74.7

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.02 ₺49.71

111.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.32 ₺15.70

375.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.26 ₺12.60

415.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.79 ₺38.76

43.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.62 ₺30.06

-11.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.03 ₺99.1

109.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.15 ₺446

108.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.69 ₺82.6

5.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.33 ₺114

19.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.74 ₺35.97

201.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$34.02 ₺1,659

-33.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.88 ₺91.9

61.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.58 ₺28.07

75.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$5.27 ₺257

-26.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.24 ₺60.3

20.16%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$42.0K ₺2.0M

-36.72%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$41.0K ₺2.0M

-34.05%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$90.2 ₺4,396

13.65%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$4.27 ₺208

165.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$12.61 ₺615

37.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$51.9 ₺2,531

0.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$3.19 ₺155

247.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$4.07 ₺199

88.94%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$255 ₺12.4K

120.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$12.0K ₺583.4K

-3.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$27.45 ₺1,338

129.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$30.86 ₺1,505

-4.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$72.9 ₺3,555

34.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$49.37 ₺2,407

79.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$406 ₺19.8K

81.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$307 ₺15.0K

57.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$779 ₺38.0K

170.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$580 ₺28.3K

111.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,314 ₺64.1K

175.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,014 ₺49.4K

156.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,289 ₺62.9K

-61.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-88.63%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Kastamonu: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $406 in Kastamonu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kastamonu pays 161% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $63.0 in Kastamonu. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $245, with Kastamonu cheaper for home cooking.

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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $984 including rent). Kastamonu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 161% lower in Kastamonu. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $406 in Kastamonu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $984 in Kastamonu – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kastamonu runs roughly 50% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $984 in Kastamonu versus $1,232 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.