Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kish

For one person, living is cheaper in Kish: $556 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Kish
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Kish Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kish

🇮🇷 Iran

$556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kish

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $556 in Kish.

Phuket $1,278
Kish $556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $874 in Kish.

Phuket $2,216
Kish $874

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,193 in Kish.

Phuket $3,154
Kish $1,193

Living in Phuket is roughly 130% more expensive than in Kish, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kish 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.57 $5.57

-19.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$15.80 $15.80

105.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.61 $4.61

91.11%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.03 $1.03

174.76%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.50 $0.50

74.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.98 $0.98

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.64 $0.64

159.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$0.47 $0.47

210.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.09 $2.09

-28.23%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.22 $1.22

71.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$4.18 $4.18

356.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.41 $3.41

-3.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.56 $11.56

-5.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$0.94 $0.94

211.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.49 $1.49

13.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.75 $0.75

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.64 $0.64

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.59 $0.59

155.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.49 $0.49

181.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.59 $0.59

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.21 $0.21

147.62%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.72 $0.72

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.68 $2.68

56.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.16 $0.16

806.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$9.47 $9.47

498.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.40 $0.40

655.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.32 $0.32

218.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.68 $2.68

37.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.09 $0.09

1533.33%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$51.9K $51.9K

-48.41%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$39.6K $39.6K

-32.66%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$11.21 $11.21

759.50%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$1.79 $1.79

529.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$3.63 $3.63

364.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$19.75 $19.75

240.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.18 $13.18

-18.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$2.01 $2.01

273.13%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$121 $121

292.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$2,576 $2,576

337.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$22.56 $22.56

176.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$28.77 $28.77

-1.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$92.4 $92.4

2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$74.9 $74.9

14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$289 $289

147.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$212 $212

131.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$808 $808

138.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$349 $349

309.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,302 $1,302

220.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$548 $548

456.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$411 $411

22.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

24.3

-77.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kish: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kish

$212 38.2% 56.8% $279

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kish

$116 20.9% 56.4% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kish

$17 3% 86.6% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kish

$98 17.7% 19.3% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kish

$77 13.8% 37.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kish

$24 4.3% 71.1% $58

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kish

$12 2.2% 82.8% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $289 in Kish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% 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 in Phuket vs $16 in Kish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $116 per month, with Kish cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇷 Kish

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

12:15 12:15 PM

3 h 30 min behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

24,819

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kish 5,120 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kish

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 Kish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $556 in Kish, so Kish is about 57% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $289 in Kish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 129% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kish – a meal for two runs $16 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $556 in Kish versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kish but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kish 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.

Expats usually find Kish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.