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 $961 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,403 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,845 in Kukes.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than Kukes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kukes 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$9.35 ALL 765

-49.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$37.52 ALL 3,070

20.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.26 ALL 594

16.12%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.85 ALL 152

58.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.59 ALL 130

-56.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.87 ALL 70.8

-57.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.29 ALL 188

5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.19 ALL 261

16.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.55 ALL 127

43.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.79 ALL 64.3

131.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.03 ALL 166

6.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.95 ALL 241

-25.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.18 ALL 751

115.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.91 ALL 565

-47.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.04 ALL 658

68.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.15 ALL 93.8

185.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.79 ALL 146

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.93 ALL 75.9

159.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.32 ALL 108

57.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.70 ALL 57.2

118.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.85 ALL 69.2

74.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.96 ALL 78.4

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.70 ALL 57.0

-27.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.45 ALL 282

27.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.18 ALL 587

169.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.93 ALL 75.7

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.73 ALL 142

56.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.45 ALL 37.20

204.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$18.63 ALL 1,524

-38.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.57 ALL 292

-15.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.20 ALL 261

-69.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.78 ALL 391

194.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.09 ALL 171

-34.93%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.8K ALL 2.8M

-18.94%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.5K ALL 2.1M

28.93%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$66.9 ALL 5,473

81.91%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.14 ALL 1,403

-20.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$15.64 ALL 1,279

17.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$56.1 ALL 4,590

7.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$25.00 ALL 2,045

-31.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.62 ALL 296

140.06%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$94.5 ALL 7,729

633.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$35.96 ALL 2,942

65.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$23.35 ALL 1,911

48.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$40.74 ALL 3,333

181.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$49.40 ALL 4,041

68.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$457 ALL 37.4K

34.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$347 ALL 28.4K

25.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$613 ALL 50.2K

241.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$429 ALL 35.1K

251.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,995 ALL 163.2K

87.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,333 ALL 109.0K

96.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$534 ALL 43.7K

-4.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kukes: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $457 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kukes pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Kukes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $195 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kukes earns 5% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $457 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 64% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $94.5 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $961 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.