Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kololi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kololi: $112 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kololi

🇬🇲 Gambia

$112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kololi

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $112 in Kololi, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Kololi $112

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $264 in Kololi, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Kololi $264

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $417 in Kololi, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Kololi $417

Phuket costs about 1043% more than Kololi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Kololi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kololi 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$43.26 GMD 3,205

-25.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.59 GMD 192

9.27%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.28 GMD 169

-61.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.91 GMD 67.6

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$6.68 GMD 495

-61.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.45 GMD 330

-17.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.31 GMD 96.8

11.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.29 GMD 466

198.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kololi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kololi

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kololi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kololi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kololi

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kololi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kololi

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kololi

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $43 in Kololi. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $26 in Kololi – so Kololi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇬🇲 Kololi

🕒 Local time

05:54 5:54 AM

22:54 10:54 PM

7 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

8,710

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 74.1 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 82.49 GMD (100 GMD = 1.21 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kololi 12,470 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kololi

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 Kololi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $112 in Kololi – Kololi comes out roughly 91% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $168 in Kololi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $43 in Kololi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $112 in Kololi. That makes Kololi about 91% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kololi, where all-in costs run around $112, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Kololi 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 $112 in Kololi to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.