Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $604 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,064 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,525 in Mombasa, rent included.

Phuket costs about 109% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Mombasa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Mombasa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.37 KES 308

98.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$19.29 KES 2,498

135.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.53 KES 1,106

-1.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.25 KES 421

-9.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.51 KES 66.3

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.47 KES 61.2

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.90 KES 246

26.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.93 KES 380

26.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.81 KES 104

175.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.53 KES 69.3

245.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.44 KES 187

50.69%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.73 KES 223

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.96 KES 1,291

98.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.82 KES 754

-37.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.24 KES 679

158.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.81 KES 234

81.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.93 KES 121

73.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.56 KES 202

54.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.76 KES 98.2

173.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.71 KES 92.4

115.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.05 KES 136

40.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.67 KES 86.9

47.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.57 KES 74.0

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.32 KES 430

32.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.90 KES 1,023

145.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.94 KES 252

-8.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.73 KES 354

-0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.79 KES 103

73.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$35.09 KES 4,546

-67.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.02 KES 391

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.95 KES 252

-49.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.61 KES 597

205.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.60 KES 208

-15.00%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

133.37%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

179.15%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$44.87 KES 5,813

171.23%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$14.07 KES 1,822

-3.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$44.11 KES 5,715

-58.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$18.18 KES 2,356

231.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$18.95 KES 2,455

-9.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.55 KES 589

90.99%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$87.3 KES 11.3K

694.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,325 KES 689.9K

194.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$13.39 KES 1,734

344.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$13.83 KES 1,792

151.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$23.61 KES 3,059

385.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$47.29 KES 6,126

76.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$178 KES 23.0K

244.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$115 KES 14.9K

279.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$605 KES 78.4K

246.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$465 KES 60.2K

224.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$5,402 KES 699.9K

-30.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$3,839 KES 497.3K

-31.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$318 KES 41.2K

59.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-59.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $178 in Mombasa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket versus $19.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $170 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Phuket, $604 in Mombasa – roughly 109% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $907 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Phuket and $19.00 in Mombasa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Phuket and $604 in Mombasa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $604, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $604 in Mombasa to $1,265 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mombasa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.