Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lagos

For one person, living is cheaper in Lagos: $952 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Lagos
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Lagos Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Lagos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lagos

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $952 in Lagos, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Lagos $952

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,852 in Lagos, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Lagos $1,852

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,753 in Lagos, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Lagos $2,753

Phuket costs about 34% more than Lagos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Lagos are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Lagos 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.62 ₦4,868

23.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$50.7 ₦68.1K

-36.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.67 ₦10.3K

14.86%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.82 ₦3,791

0.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.43 ₦580

102.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.24 ₦325

104.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$0.97 ₦1,309

163.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.95 ₦2,628

88.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$3.20 ₦4,308

-48.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.49 ₦2,004

-2.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.26 ₦1,698

19.05%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.27 ₦3,055

-7.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$3.42 ₦4,603

457.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.77 ₦5,067

-12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.36 ₦5,864

150.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.63 ₦2,194

79.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.33 ₦1,785

27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.13 ₦1,519

99.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.49 ₦2,006

39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.61 ₦2,165

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.52 ₦2,044

-9.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$0.89 ₦1,194

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.40 ₦533

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$0.55 ₦737

663.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$2.37 ₦3,190

692.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.54 ₦722

237.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$0.50 ₦668

468.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.38 ₦514

281.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$21.99 ₦29.6K

157.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.70 ₦938

331.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.97 ₦1,301

5.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.10 ₦2,831

75.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.85 ₦1,141

72.94%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$11.3K ₦15.2M

136.81%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$29.0K ₦39.0M

-7.94%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$112 ₦150.1K

-13.70%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$14.92 ₦20.1K

-24.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$32.44 ₦43.6K

-48.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$27.80 ₦37.4K

141.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$6.91 ₦9,295

55.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.23 ₦8,379

20.39%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$654 ₦879.5K

-27.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$20.1K ₦27.0M

-43.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$14.83 ₦19.9K

320.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$17.94 ₦24.1K

58.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$36.62 ₦49.3K

157.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$47.49 ₦63.9K

80.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$704 ₦947.1K

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$417 ₦561.4K

17.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,809 ₦3.8M

-31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,498 ₦2.0M

-4.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$3,242 ₦4.4M

28.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,607 ₦2.2M

89.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$118 ₦158.5K

326.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

18.39

-69.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lagos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Lagos

$417 43.9% 15% $73

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Lagos

$156 16.4% 41.4% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Lagos

$159 16.7% 27.7% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lagos

$53 5.5% 56.9% $69

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lagos

$97 10.2% 20.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Lagos

$40 4.2% 51% $42

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Lagos

$29 3.1% 58.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $704 in Lagos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $51 in Lagos. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $156 in Lagos – so Lagos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇬 Lagos

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

10,404,112

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,345 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.66 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Lagos 10,460 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Lagos

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 Lagos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 34% more than Lagos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,427 in Lagos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $704 in Lagos. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $654 in Lagos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,278 in Phuket and $952 in Lagos. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $952 in Lagos to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lagos. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.