Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kilifi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kilifi: $634 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Kilifi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kilifi

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $634 in Kilifi, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Kilifi $634

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,049 in Kilifi, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Kilifi $1,049

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,465 in Kilifi, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Kilifi $1,465

Phuket costs about 90% more than Kilifi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Kilifi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Kilifi 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$1.90 KES 246

141.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$49.32 KES 6,394

-34.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$2.29 KES 297

273.36%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.99 KES 257

36.68%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.81 KES 105

16.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.74 KES 96.2

-33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.52 KES 196

70.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.06 KES 137

64.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.88 KES 114

62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$2.01 KES 260

-23.88%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.94 KES 251

11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$7.89 KES 1,023

41.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.28 KES 296

29.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.70 KES 90.9

140.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.79 KES 232

28.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.45 KES 57.7

373.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.79 KES 103

93.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.79 KES 103

72.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.22 KES 28.39

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$12.67 KES 1,643

43.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.72 KES 222

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.74 KES 95.7

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$26.67 KES 3,457

-17.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.32 KES 171

12.88%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$15.65 KES 2,029

534.95%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$10.43 KES 1,353

8.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$25.11 KES 3,255

-30.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$27.40 KES 3,552

90.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$7.52 KES 974

0.66%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$160 KES 20.8K

248.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$4,984 KES 646.1K

130.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$9.82 KES 1,273

540.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$8.90 KES 1,154

221.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$15.50 KES 2,009

520.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$17.60 KES 2,282

400.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$329 KES 42.7K

121.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$303 KES 39.3K

51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$273 KES 35.4K

668.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$570 KES 73.9K

114.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$227 KES 29.4K

117.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-30.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kilifi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Kilifi

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Kilifi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Kilifi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Kilifi

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Kilifi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Kilifi

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Kilifi

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $329 in Kilifi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 117% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $49.00 in Kilifi. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $124 in Kilifi – so Kilifi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇪 Kilifi

🕒 Local time

02:24 2:24 AM

22:24 10:24 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

122,899

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Kilifi 6,620 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kilifi

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 Kilifi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $634 in Kilifi – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $951 in Kilifi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kilifi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $160 in Kilifi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 115% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kilifi, where all-in costs run around $634, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Kilifi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $634 in Kilifi to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kilifi. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.