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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,047 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,533 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,020 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 6% lower, Lome 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.15 F CFA 1,216

118.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$31.22 F CFA 17.6K

45.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.38 F CFA 3,036

56.69%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$5.61 F CFA 3,168

-47.77%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$3.46 F CFA 1,953

-80.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.11 F CFA 627

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.84 F CFA 477

186.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.71 F CFA 964

117.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.48 F CFA 1,397

-10.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.33 F CFA 748

37.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.83 F CFA 1,035

18.58%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.10 F CFA 1,184

5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$14.13 F CFA 7,975

39.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.41 F CFA 4,748

-56.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.44 F CFA 5,326

43.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.71 F CFA 1,530

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.50 F CFA 845

7.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.62 F CFA 1,481

-8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.48 F CFA 1,402

-16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.79 F CFA 1,012

-14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.74 F CFA 981

-14.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.50 F CFA 284

98.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.85 F CFA 482

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.44 F CFA 815

206.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.87 F CFA 2,748

297.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.33 F CFA 749

33.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.51 F CFA 855

79.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.36 F CFA 204

280.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$53.3 F CFA 30.1K

-78.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.13 F CFA 1,203

41.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.69 F CFA 389

43.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.21 F CFA 2,938

170.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.25 F CFA 704

8.80%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

100.60%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.0K F CFA 14.7M

26.71%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$173 F CFA 97.5K

-29.59%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$21.89 F CFA 12.4K

-38.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$44.32 F CFA 25.0K

-58.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$49.54 F CFA 28.0K

21.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$8.63 F CFA 4,871

98.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.33 F CFA 2,444

100.69%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$177 F CFA 99.9K

291.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,103 F CFA 2.9M

207.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$24.39 F CFA 13.8K

144.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$27.26 F CFA 15.4K

27.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$42.14 F CFA 23.8K

171.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$94.0 F CFA 53.0K

-11.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$360 F CFA 202.9K

70.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$224 F CFA 126.2K

95.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$765 F CFA 431.8K

173.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$299 F CFA 169.0K

404.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$267 F CFA 150.6K

90.47%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lome: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $360 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 90% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $252 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 90% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $360 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $177 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 $1,047 in Lome versus $1,265 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 $1,047 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.