Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nairobi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nairobi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $836 in Nairobi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $1,368 in Nairobi, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $1,900 in Nairobi, rent included.

Phuket costs about 51% more than Nairobi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Nairobi 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.94 KES 509

18.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$34.11 KES 4,410

-5.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.21 KES 803

39.77%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.71 KES 351

7.01%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.60 KES 78.2

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.56 KES 73.0

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.39 KES 309

3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.77 KES 358

34.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.84 KES 109

125.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.52 KES 67.8

171.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.88 KES 243

-13.83%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.63 KES 211

37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.57 KES 1,366

87.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.27 KES 810

-44.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$6.13 KES 792

85.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.31 KES 428

-12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.04 KES 135

65.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.06 KES 266

10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.07 KES 139

99.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.11 KES 143

32.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.07 KES 139

32.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.72 KES 93.6

52.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.73 KES 94.3

-17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.49 KES 452

23.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.54 KES 1,492

61.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.23 KES 288

-19.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.87 KES 371

3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.79 KES 102

184.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$45.54 KES 5,889

-48.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.59 KES 206

94.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.51 KES 195

-28.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.94 KES 380

31.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.52 KES 197

-5.92%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.2K KES 2.6M

37.26%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$19.4K KES 2.5M

39.02%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$60.5 KES 7,816

73.37%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$15.08 KES 1,950

-24.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$35.24 KES 4,557

-50.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$51.0 KES 6,598

6.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$14.83 KES 1,918

-22.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.66 KES 990

1.57%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$242 KES 31.3K

137.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$11.7K KES 1.5M

-0.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$26.74 KES 3,458

138.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$25.62 KES 3,313

13.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$62.3 KES 8,051

54.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$61.1 KES 7,905

47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$452 KES 58.5K

62.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$215 KES 27.8K

133.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,135 KES 146.8K

87.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$508 KES 65.7K

146.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,302 KES 168.4K

171.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$917 KES 118.5K

186.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$484 KES 62.6K

4.80%

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 Nairobi: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $733 in Phuket versus $452 in Nairobi. 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 5% 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Nairobi. Groceries tell a different story – $275 in Phuket vs $203 in Nairobi – so Nairobi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 51% more than Nairobi, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,253 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 94% less in Nairobi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $576 per month in Phuket and $242 in Nairobi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nairobi, where all-in costs run around $836, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Nairobi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nairobi costs $836 versus $1,265 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Nairobi. 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.