Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nairobi: $885 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nairobi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Nairobi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $885 in Nairobi, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Nairobi $885

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,436 in Nairobi, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Nairobi $1,436

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,987 in Nairobi, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Nairobi $1,987

Phuket costs about 44% more than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Nairobi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Nairobi 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.43 KES 835

-30.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$34.51 KES 4,482

-6.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.26 KES 813

40.73%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.60 KES 338

8.85%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.64 KES 82.9

35.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.67 KES 86.8

-26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.30 KES 299

11.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.75 KES 357

33.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.95 KES 123

74.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.59 KES 76.2

147.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.00 KES 260

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.69 KES 220

23.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$11.01 KES 1,430

73.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.41 KES 832

-48.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.41 KES 832

70.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.42 KES 444

-14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.06 KES 138

59.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.03 KES 263

10.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.14 KES 147

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.10 KES 143

37.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.10 KES 143

25.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.74 KES 96.0

44.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.76 KES 99.1

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.38 KES 438

24.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.65 KES 1,513

61.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.26 KES 293

-19.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.74 KES 356

3.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.83 KES 108

74.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$46.81 KES 6,079

21.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.52 KES 197

98.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.52 KES 198

-32.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.80 KES 364

31.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.55 KES 202

-5.16%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$19.4K KES 2.5M

38.18%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$22.2K KES 2.9M

20.15%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$56.7 KES 7,359

70.02%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$15.25 KES 1,981

-26.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$34.78 KES 4,516

-51.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$51.6 KES 6,705

30.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$15.64 KES 2,031

-31.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.60 KES 987

-1.32%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$277 KES 36.0K

71.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-8.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$27.73 KES 3,601

124.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$29.36 KES 3,812

-3.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$69.3 KES 9,000

36.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$59.1 KES 7,671

45.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$441 KES 57.3K

62.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$235 KES 30.6K

108.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,131 KES 146.9K

70.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$522 KES 67.8K

174.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,234 KES 160.2K

238.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$805 KES 104.5K

278.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$484 KES 62.9K

3.74%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Nairobi

$235 26.6% 52% $255

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Nairobi

$209 23.7% 21.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Nairobi

$107 12.1% 14.3% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nairobi

$83 9.4% 31.5% $38

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Nairobi

$124 14% 1.6% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Nairobi

$67 7.6% 18.7% $15

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Nairobi

$59 6.7% 16% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $441 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 4% 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 in Phuket versus $35 in Nairobi. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $209 in Nairobi – so Nairobi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

03:27 3:27 AM

23:27 11:27 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Nairobi 6,900 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 44% more than Nairobi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,327 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $441 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Nairobi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $277 in Nairobi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,278 in Phuket and $885 in Nairobi. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nairobi costs $885 versus $1,278 in Phuket. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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