Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kefalonia

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,575 in Kefalonia, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Kefalonia, Greece
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Kefalonia
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,575
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kefalonia

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $1,575 in Kefalonia, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Kefalonia $1,575

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $2,360 in Kefalonia, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Kefalonia $2,360

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $3,145 in Kefalonia, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Kefalonia $3,145

Phuket is about 18% cheaper than Kefalonia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Kefalonia is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kefalonia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$14.93 €13.30
-70.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,078
$38.50 €34.29
-16.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿290
$10.02 €8.93
-13.17%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿90.9
$3.11 €2.77
-12.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.06
$3.32 €2.96
-71.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.67
$0.61 €0.54
-18.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿84.5
$4.76 €4.24
-46.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿121
$5.29 €4.71
-31.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kefalonia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$1.66 €1.48
4.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.42
$1.46 €1.30
-0.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.1
$2.60 €2.31
-42.31%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.5
$4.49 €4.00
-51.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿637
$13.09 €11.66
45.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿113
$10.27 €9.15
-66.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿364
$14.85 €13.23
-26.60%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.2
$2.23 €1.99
31.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.5
$2.01 €1.79
-15.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.2
$1.41 €1.25
55.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿70.9
$2.09 €1.86
1.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.68
$1.14 €1.01
28.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.66
$1.15 €1.03
19.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿35.91
$1.08 €0.96
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.21
$0.87 €0.78
-36.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿148
$5.30 €4.72
-16.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿609
$6.63 €5.90
175.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.2
$2.47 €2.20
-28.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.2
$2.51 €2.23
14.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kefalonia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$1.40 €1.25
3.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,832
$51.1 €45.50
7.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.5
$4.14 €3.69
-63.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿25.90
$1.09 €0.97
-28.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿128
$16.77 €14.94
-77.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.65
$1.98 €1.76
-24.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿897.3K
$27.4K €24.4K
-1.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.4K
$25.7K €22.9K
2.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kefalonia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,265
$280 €249
-65.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿377
$22.62 €20.15
-50.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿574
$30.67 €27.32
-43.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kefalonia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,281
$51.7 €46.03
32.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿365
$25.29 €22.53
-56.82%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿248
$8.90 €7.93
-16.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kefalonia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.7K
$404 €360
31.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿626.9K
$8,838 €7,873
112.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kefalonia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,059
$88.3 €78.7
-30.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿943
$39.69 €35.35
-28.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,204
$95.5 €85.1
0.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,898
$124 €110
-29.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kefalonia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.1K
$526 €469
37.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.0K
$428 €381
18.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.1K
$1,090 €971
78.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.6K
$806 €718
73.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿139.9K
$2,430 €2,164
72.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.1K
$1,967 €1,753
67.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kefalonia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.4K
$1,101 €981
-55.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.48
24.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kefalonia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Kefalonia
$428 15.9% $81
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Kefalonia
$285 6.8% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Kefalonia
$333 164% $207
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Kefalonia
$156 27.3% $34
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Kefalonia
$237 98.2% $117
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Kefalonia
$69 16.5% $14
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Kefalonia
$66 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $526 in Kefalonia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kefalonia are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $38 in Kefalonia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $285 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇷 Kefalonia
🕒 Local time
06:18 6:18 AM
01:18 1:18 AM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
36,404
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kefalonia 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kefalonia

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 Kefalonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Kefalonia?
Kefalonia costs about 22% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Kefalonia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $2,363 in Kefalonia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Kefalonia?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kefalonia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $526 there versus $721 in Phuket.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and in Kefalonia?
Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $404 in Kefalonia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Kefalonia?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Kefalonia, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Kefalonia?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Kefalonia at $1,575. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kefalonia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Kefalonia?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,294 in Phuket to $1,575 in Kefalonia. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Phuket compared to Kefalonia?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Phuket or to Kefalonia?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kefalonia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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