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: $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,028 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,520 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $2,012 in Lome.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Lome, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Lome 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$2.18 F CFA 1,219

110.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$31.89 F CFA 17.8K

46.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$5.15 F CFA 2,876

68.93%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$5.90 F CFA 3,291

-50.51%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$3.38 F CFA 1,888

-79.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$1.11 F CFA 621

-63.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$0.84 F CFA 472

198.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$1.71 F CFA 955

122.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$2.42 F CFA 1,353

-10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.26 F CFA 706

49.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$1.85 F CFA 1,031

16.76%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$2.06 F CFA 1,148

7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$14.08 F CFA 7,859

38.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$8.50 F CFA 4,746

-55.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$8.91 F CFA 4,974

50.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$2.63 F CFA 1,471

23.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.51 F CFA 842

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$2.69 F CFA 1,504

-14.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$2.43 F CFA 1,358

-15.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$1.80 F CFA 1,007

-10.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$1.75 F CFA 975

-17.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.52 F CFA 289

98.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.86 F CFA 479

-44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$1.38 F CFA 773

226.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$4.83 F CFA 2,699

297.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$1.36 F CFA 760

33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.50 F CFA 839

79.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.34 F CFA 190

305.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$52.2 F CFA 29.1K

-77.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$2.10 F CFA 1,172

48.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$0.74 F CFA 415

35.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$5.27 F CFA 2,941

160.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.19 F CFA 666

9.24%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

93.39%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$25.6K F CFA 14.3M

28.92%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$172 F CFA 96.0K

-27.38%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$22.30 F CFA 12.4K

-38.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$43.33 F CFA 24.2K

-57.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$49.05 F CFA 27.4K

23.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$9.08 F CFA 5,069

88.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$4.31 F CFA 2,404

109.05%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$178 F CFA 99.5K

291.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$5,148 F CFA 2.9M

212.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$24.52 F CFA 13.7K

141.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$27.17 F CFA 15.2K

28.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$40.81 F CFA 22.8K

179.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$94.2 F CFA 52.6K

-8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$358 F CFA 199.9K

72.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$221 F CFA 123.2K

97.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$764 F CFA 426.4K

171.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$300 F CFA 167.7K

402.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$264 F CFA 147.4K

100.18%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Lome: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $358 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 100% 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: $47 in Phuket vs $32 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 21% 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.

Phuket pays 100% more on average, 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: $619 in Phuket versus $358 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $178 in Lome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,028 in Lome versus $1,247 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 $1,028 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 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.