Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lome Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,049 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,501 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,954 in Lome.

Living in Phuket is roughly 19% more expensive than in Lome, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Lome 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$2.17 F CFA 1,248

109.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$32.09 F CFA 18.4K

43.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.16 F CFA 2,964

71.32%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$5.62 F CFA 3,229

-45.55%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$3.46 F CFA 1,984

-78.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.11 F CFA 636

-63.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.86 F CFA 493

182.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.80 F CFA 1,034

110.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.42 F CFA 1,390

-6.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.31 F CFA 751

38.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.81 F CFA 1,037

24.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.06 F CFA 1,186

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$14.16 F CFA 8,128

37.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.21 F CFA 4,711

-55.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.37 F CFA 5,381

39.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.67 F CFA 1,532

20.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.43 F CFA 819

13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.62 F CFA 1,506

-9.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.52 F CFA 1,447

-19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.80 F CFA 1,033

-15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.75 F CFA 1,004

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.55 F CFA 313

78.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.87 F CFA 497

-40.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.43 F CFA 821

210.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.66 F CFA 2,676

293.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.38 F CFA 794

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.57 F CFA 901

70.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.34 F CFA 194

314.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$53.9 F CFA 30.9K

-78.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.04 F CFA 1,173

52.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.73 F CFA 421

42.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$5.24 F CFA 3,008

169.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.25 F CFA 720

4.80%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$14.1K F CFA 8.1M

97.17%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$25.8K F CFA 14.8M

28.74%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$178 F CFA 102.4K

-31.36%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$21.67 F CFA 12.4K

-37.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$43.41 F CFA 24.9K

-56.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$49.00 F CFA 28.1K

23.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$8.73 F CFA 5,013

94.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.29 F CFA 2,465

111.42%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$173 F CFA 99.3K

308.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,151 F CFA 3.0M

206.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$24.78 F CFA 14.2K

136.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$27.41 F CFA 15.7K

29.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$40.82 F CFA 23.4K

182.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$96.1 F CFA 55.2K

-12.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$363 F CFA 208.6K

72.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$221 F CFA 126.6K

101.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$757 F CFA 434.6K

169.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$302 F CFA 173.4K

394.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$261 F CFA 149.9K

91.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-33.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lome: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $363 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 92% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $250 per month, with Lome 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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 92% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $363 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $173 in Lome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,049 in Lome versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lome the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,049 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lome 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 Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.