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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $442 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $763 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,085 in Machakos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 186% more expensive than in Machakos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Machakos 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.37 KES 307

89.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$38.19 KES 4,936

19.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.63 KES 857

32.13%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.89 KES 244

57.14%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.71 KES 91.6

-2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.50 KES 64.4

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.95 KES 252

29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.65 KES 342

41.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.41 KES 52.8

424.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.48 KES 61.6

279.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.76 KES 97.7

186.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.37 KES 177

64.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$11.41 KES 1,475

75.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.59 KES 851

-44.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$4.68 KES 604

189.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.51 KES 195

114.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.74 KES 95.6

121.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.37 KES 48.17

529.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.38 KES 48.78

444.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.73 KES 94.9

112.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.79 KES 102

84.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.66 KES 85.0

48.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.37 KES 48.00

29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$3.12 KES 403

39.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$11.40 KES 1,474

62.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.96 KES 253

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.79 KES 361

-5.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.76 KES 98.2

317.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.73 KES 94.8

41.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$2.94 KES 379

372.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.51 KES 195

-11.26%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$21.4K KES 2.8M

30.17%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$19.7K KES 2.5M

69.69%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$34.06 KES 4,402

261.27%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$7.77 KES 1,004

77.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$11.38 KES 1,471

61.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.02 KES 778

47.34%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$47.26 KES 6,109

1355.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$8,045 KES 1.0M

96.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$11.59 KES 1,498

411.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$23.79 KES 3,075

45.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$65.9 KES 8,522

74.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$38.20 KES 4,937

119.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$92.3 KES 11.9K

572.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$68.4 KES 8,838

552.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$156 KES 20.1K

1206.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$114 KES 14.7K

1211.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$380 KES 49.1K

29.92%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Machakos: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $92.3 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 30% 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 $38.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $163 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 186% 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.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $92.3 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $442 in Machakos – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $442 in Machakos versus $1,264 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 $442 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 186% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.