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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $512 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $788 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,063 in Machakos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 147% more expensive than in Machakos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Machakos 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.18 KES 411

46.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$19.14 KES 2,475

68.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.15 KES 795

41.14%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.07 KES 267

40.10%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.56 KES 72.8

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.51 KES 65.8

-3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.10 KES 271

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.65 KES 343

40.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.40 KES 51.9

372.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.47 KES 60.9

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$0.79 KES 102

105.06%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.36 KES 175

64.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.48 KES 1,355

89.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.43 KES 831

-45.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$4.65 KES 602

144.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.52 KES 197

90.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.74 KES 95.6

132.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.40 KES 52.3

467.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.40 KES 52.1

432.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.75 KES 97.2

96.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.74 KES 96.2

91.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.69 KES 88.7

59.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.40 KES 51.9

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.58 KES 463

20.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.48 KES 1,485

62.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.97 KES 254

-8.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.88 KES 373

3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.79 KES 102

292.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.79 KES 102

36.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.97 KES 384

30.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.51 KES 196

-5.30%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

37.74%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$19.6K KES 2.5M

37.63%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$60.1 KES 7,775

74.29%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$7.94 KES 1,027

43.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$11.73 KES 1,516

49.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$38.06 KES 4,922

42.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.91 KES 1,023

-1.64%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$45.50 KES 5,884

1166.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$11.6K KES 1.5M

-0.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$11.74 KES 1,518

442.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$25.50 KES 3,297

14.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$64.1 KES 8,293

50.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$38.12 KES 4,930

136.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$94.5 KES 12.2K

675.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$70.1 KES 9,058

615.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$156 KES 20.2K

1261.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$114 KES 14.8K

997.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$387 KES 50.1K

31.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.71

-62.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Machakos: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $94.5 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 31% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $160 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 147% 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 31% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $94.5 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $512 in Machakos – a 147% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $512 in Machakos versus $1,265 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 $512 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 147% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.