Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kiambu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kiambu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $474 in Kiambu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $774 in Kiambu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,075 in Kiambu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 167% more expensive than in Kiambu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kiambu 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.97 KES 513

17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$34.24 KES 4,427

-5.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.01 KES 777

44.43%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.71 KES 350

7.01%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.55 KES 71.3

52.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.52 KES 67.7

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.29 KES 296

8.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.66 KES 344

40.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.54 KES 69.6

250.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.50 KES 65.3

182.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.89 KES 244

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.42 KES 184

57.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.54 KES 1,363

88.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.30 KES 814

-44.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$4.07 KES 526

179.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.25 KES 420

-10.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.01 KES 130

70.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.76 KES 97.8

198.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.60 KES 77.0

255.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.68 KES 88.4

116.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.73 KES 93.9

94.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.30 KES 38.67

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.40 KES 52.0

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.45 KES 447

24.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.74 KES 1,518

58.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.29 KES 296

-21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.74 KES 354

8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.68 KES 87.6

230.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.55 KES 201

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.37 KES 48.15

191.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.97 KES 384

30.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.57 KES 204

-8.92%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

38.21%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$19.6K KES 2.5M

37.79%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$60.0 KES 7,754

74.75%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$7.74 KES 1,001

47.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$35.57 KES 4,599

-50.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$5.87 KES 759

32.54%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$243 KES 31.4K

137.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$11.5K KES 1.5M

1.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$26.69 KES 3,451

138.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$25.86 KES 3,343

12.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$64.0 KES 8,269

50.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$61.0 KES 7,882

47.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$117 KES 15.1K

526.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,149 KES 148.6K

207.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$122 KES 15.8K

315.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.71

-62.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $117 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 315% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Kiambu. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $177, with Kiambu 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 Kiambu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 167% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 315% higher in Phuket, 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: $733 in Phuket versus $117 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $243 in Kiambu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiambu – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $474 in Kiambu versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kiambu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kiambu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiambu 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 Kiambu 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 Kiambu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.