Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Machakos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Machakos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $453 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $752 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,051 in Machakos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 172% more expensive than Machakos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Machakos 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.34 KES 303

97.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$38.88 KES 5,024

20.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$6.85 KES 885

29.05%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$1.99 KES 257

50.75%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$0.74 KES 95.8

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.50 KES 65.0

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$1.91 KES 247

27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.70 KES 349

33.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$0.38 KES 48.77

494.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$0.45 KES 57.9

308.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$0.81 KES 104

176.54%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$1.35 KES 175

71.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$11.65 KES 1,506

68.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.69 KES 865

-45.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$4.57 KES 591

186.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$1.53 KES 198

121.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$0.73 KES 94.7

124.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$0.41 KES 52.5

487.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$0.37 KES 48.44

448.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.78 KES 101

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$0.75 KES 97.5

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.65 KES 84.1

56.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.41 KES 52.9

19.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.01 KES 389

47.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$11.72 KES 1,514

61.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$1.98 KES 255

-10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$2.73 KES 353

0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$0.75 KES 97.2

316.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$0.80 KES 104

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$2.97 KES 384

374.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.45 KES 187

-6.90%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

23.87%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

63.11%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$33.86 KES 4,375

269.11%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$7.93 KES 1,024

71.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$11.71 KES 1,513

58.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$6.05 KES 782

51.90%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$45.51 KES 5,881

1434.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$8,077 KES 1.0M

93.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$11.55 KES 1,493

400.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$24.37 KES 3,149

44.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$66.4 KES 8,581

70.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$38.37 KES 4,958

125.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$92.4 KES 11.9K

566.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$69.9 KES 9,032

538.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$154 KES 19.9K

1232.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$115 KES 14.8K

1200.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$389 KES 50.3K

34.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

14.84

-64.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Machakos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $92.4 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 35% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $165 per month, with Machakos 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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 172% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 35% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $92.4 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $453 in Machakos – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $453 in Machakos versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Machakos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $453 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Machakos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.