Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,608 in Kos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,407 in Kos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,206 in Kos.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 21% less than in Kos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Kos is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$17.19 €14.82

-72.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$75.6 €65.2

-57.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$12.41 €10.70

-30.06%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$4.89 €4.21

-40.70%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$3.38 €2.91

-75.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.13 €0.97

-56.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$4.53 €3.91

-45.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$7.04 €6.07

-47.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.42 €2.08

-21.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.64 €1.42

-14.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.65 €2.28

-38.87%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$4.81 €4.15

-53.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$14.26 €12.29

39.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$10.12 €8.73

-65.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$15.16 €13.07

-25.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.37 €2.05

22.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.23 €1.92

-22.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.50 €1.29

51.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.99 €1.72

7.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.18 €1.02

24.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.16 €1.00

22.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.13 €0.98

-2.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.89 €0.77

-32.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.39 €4.64

-20.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.03 €6.06

164.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.16 €1.86

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.81 €2.42

5.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.41 €1.21

59.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$49.23 €42.44

-52.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$4.09 €3.53

-24.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.08 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$17.19 €14.82

-77.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$2.16 €1.86

-33.80%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$29.1K €25.1K

-4.51%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$26.4K €22.8K

2.03%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$213 €183

-50.73%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$24.32 €20.96

-53.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$36.08 €31.10

-51.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$52.4 €45.13

3.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$26.60 €22.93

-56.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$9.41 €8.11

-17.32%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$438 €378

31.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$6,914 €5,960

67.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$85.6 €73.8

-25.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$40.21 €34.66

-27.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$92.2 €79.5

4.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$131 €113

-31.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$630 €543

16.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$448 €386

11.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$765 €660

177.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$618 €533

102.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,871 €2,475

23.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$2,457 €2,118

6.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$935 €806

-45.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.44

25.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kos: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $630 in Kos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kos pays 84% 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 $76.0 in Kos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $302 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Kos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Kos. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Kos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $630 in Kos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $76.0 in Kos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,608 in Kos – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,608 in Kos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kos. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kos 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Kos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.