Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kukes Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kukes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $753 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,133 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,513 in Kukes.

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than in Kukes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kukes 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.88 ALL 306

20.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$22.80 ALL 1,801

41.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.69 ALL 607

12.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.51 ALL 119

92.05%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.37 ALL 108

-38.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.69 ALL 54.8

-28.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.88 ALL 148

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.26 ALL 178

65.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.66 ALL 131

13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.85 ALL 67.4

65.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.07 ALL 164

-21.74%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.75 ALL 217

-18.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.70 ALL 766

104.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$7.42 ALL 586

-53.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.92 ALL 862

4.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$0.98 ALL 77.8

195.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.98 ALL 156

-13.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.04 ALL 82.1

118.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.69 ALL 134

26.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.79 ALL 62.8

86.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.09 ALL 85.7

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.09 ALL 86.2

0.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.67 ALL 52.8

-10.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.52 ALL 357

-4.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.79 ALL 615

138.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.11 ALL 87.5

62.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.67 ALL 132

77.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.49 ALL 38.95

359.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$20.48 ALL 1,617

14.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.89 ALL 307

-20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$3.97 ALL 313

-72.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$4.98 ALL 394

-22.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$2.27 ALL 179

-37.00%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$34.2K ALL 2.7M

-18.85%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$25.5K ALL 2.0M

5.62%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$63.3 ALL 4,998

65.61%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$16.46 ALL 1,300

-30.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$17.83 ALL 1,408

-1.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$58.1 ALL 4,589

-6.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$12.75 ALL 1,007

-10.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.89 ALL 307

100.00%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$103 ALL 8,134

459.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$37.62 ALL 2,971

69.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$28.63 ALL 2,261

1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$51.3 ALL 4,054

87.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$44.62 ALL 3,524

101.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$240 ALL 19.0K

204.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$175 ALL 13.8K

186.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$287 ALL 22.6K

641.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$213 ALL 16.8K

487.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,915 ALL 151.2K

84.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,264 ALL 99.9K

107.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$545 ALL 43.0K

-6.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kukes: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $240 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kukes pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Kukes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $214 per month, with Kukes 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 Kukes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kukes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Kukes. 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 $240 in Kukes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kukes runs roughly 15% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $103 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $753 in Kukes versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kukes but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kukes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kukes 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 Kukes 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 Kukes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.