Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kelcyre Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kelcyre

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,227 in Kelcyre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,892 in Kelcyre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,558 in Kelcyre.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than Kelcyre, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kelcyre 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$11.83 ALL 968

-60.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$59.7 ALL 4,886

-24.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.59 ALL 784

-12.10%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.06 ALL 169

42.23%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.83 ALL 150

-62.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.92 ALL 75.5

-59.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.02 ALL 247

-20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.08 ALL 334

-8.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.12 ALL 174

5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.13 ALL 92.1

61.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.15 ALL 176

0.93%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.96 ALL 324

-44.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.88 ALL 1,054

53.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.54 ALL 616

-51.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.83 ALL 1,295

-14.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.75 ALL 144

87.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.75 ALL 225

-41.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.96 ALL 161

22.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.00 ALL 164

4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.33 ALL 109

15.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.27 ALL 104

16.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.51 ALL 124

-34.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.76 ALL 62.0

-32.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.19 ALL 343

5.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.03 ALL 902

75.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.63 ALL 134

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.13 ALL 174

27.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.49 ALL 40.27

179.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$18.82 ALL 1,540

-39.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.48 ALL 285

-13.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.09 ALL 253

-67.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.34 ALL 1,418

-18.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.16 ALL 177

-37.04%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$39.4K ALL 3.2M

-28.45%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$36.0K ALL 2.9M

-8.54%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$108 ALL 8,870

12.25%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.18 ALL 1,487

-25.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.11 ALL 1,481

1.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$55.2 ALL 4,516

9.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$24.81 ALL 2,030

-30.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$9.66 ALL 790

-10.04%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$160 ALL 13.1K

334.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,562 ALL 455.1K

182.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$68.3 ALL 5,590

-12.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$50.4 ALL 4,121

-30.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$108 ALL 8,857

5.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$129 ALL 10.5K

-35.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$456 ALL 37.3K

34.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$337 ALL 27.6K

29.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$613 ALL 50.2K

241.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$437 ALL 35.7K

245.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,756 ALL 143.7K

113.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,257 ALL 102.8K

108.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.52

-3.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kelcyre: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $456 in Kelcyre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $60.0 in Kelcyre. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $280, with Kelcyre 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 Kelcyre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kelcyre is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,840 in Kelcyre to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $456 in Kelcyre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kelcyre runs roughly 65% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $160 in Kelcyre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,227 in Kelcyre versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kelcyre but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kelcyre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kelcyre is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kelcyre 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 Kelcyre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.