Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kumasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumasi: $495 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Kumasi, Ghana
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Kumasi
🇬🇭 Ghana
$495
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kumasi

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $495 in Kumasi, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Kumasi $495

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $816 in Kumasi, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Kumasi $816

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,137 in Kumasi, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Kumasi $1,137

Phuket costs about 158% more than Kumasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Kumasi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kumasi 64% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kumasi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$3.45 GHS 40.13
29.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$33.93 GHS 395
-4.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$10.33 GHS 120
-14.71%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$1.09 GHS 12.70
159.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$0.71 GHS 8.32
22.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.27 GHS 3.17
81.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$0.93 GHS 10.80
175.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$1.71 GHS 19.91
115.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kumasi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.79 GHS 20.89
-7.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.61 GHS 18.73
-9.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.69 GHS 19.72
-11.24%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.39 GHS 27.85
-12.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$5.79 GHS 67.5
229.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.55 GHS 53.0
-27.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$4.79 GHS 55.8
127.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.74 GHS 20.31
68.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$0.88 GHS 10.31
92.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$0.88 GHS 10.29
155.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$2.16 GHS 25.21
-3.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.73 GHS 20.16
-12.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.26 GHS 14.65
9.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$0.71 GHS 8.25
50.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.60 GHS 7.03
-13.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$0.84 GHS 9.80
400.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$1.32 GHS 15.39
1323.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.23 GHS 14.33
47.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.33 GHS 27.14
21.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kumasi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$0.55 GHS 6.36
163.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$20.62 GHS 240
174.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$0.84 GHS 9.81
259.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$1.32 GHS 15.34
-22.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$1.67 GHS 19.44
120.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.14 GHS 13.31
28.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$8,015 GHS 93.4K
234.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$20.3K GHS 236.6K
31.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kumasi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$43.47 GHS 506
121.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$19.28 GHS 225
-41.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$43.32 GHS 505
-61.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kumasi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$29.97 GHS 349
124.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$13.11 GHS 153
-42.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kumasi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$458 GHS 5,341
3.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$5,431 GHS 63.3K
107.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kumasi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$14.26 GHS 166
337.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$18.46 GHS 215
53.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$36.90 GHS 430
155.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$52.3 GHS 609
64.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kumasi
Difference
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 ฿65.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kumasi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$415 GHS 4,840
20.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
26.75
-79.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kumasi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Kumasi
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Kumasi
$164 38.2% $102
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Kumasi
$106 14.8% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Kumasi
$55 55% $67
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Kumasi
$84 31.3% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Kumasi
$56 31.7% $26
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Kumasi
$30 57.2% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 21% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $34 in Kumasi. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $164 in Kumasi – so Kumasi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇭 Kumasi
🕒 Local time
08:37 8:37 AM
01:37 1:37 AM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
1,517,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 11.65 GHS (100 GHS = 8.58 USD). 1 EUR = 13.01 GHS (100 GHS = 7.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kumasi 11,000 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kumasi

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 Kumasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Kumasi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $495 in Kumasi – Kumasi comes out roughly 61% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Kumasi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $743 in Kumasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 62% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $34 in Kumasi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kumasi, where all-in costs run around $495, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Kumasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Kumasi?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $495 in Kumasi to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Phuket and Kumasi?
If budget matters most, go with Kumasi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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