Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nanyuki Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nanyuki

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $617 in Nanyuki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,015 in Nanyuki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,413 in Nanyuki.

Living in Phuket is roughly 100% more expensive than Nanyuki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Nanyuki 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.84 KES 496

20.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$30.83 KES 3,979

51.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.78 KES 875

30.38%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.82 KES 235

64.84%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.76 KES 98.4

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.50 KES 64.2

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.39 KES 308

2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.83 KES 365

27.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.89 KES 115

153.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.57 KES 73.8

222.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.19 KES 154

88.24%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.51 KES 196

53.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.45 KES 1,478

71.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.63 KES 856

-44.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$3.78 KES 488

246.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$3.18 KES 410

6.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.05 KES 135

56.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.15 KES 278

12.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.00 KES 129

103.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.07 KES 138

45.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.13 KES 145

32.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.69 KES 88.8

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.81 KES 104

-39.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.75 KES 355

61.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$11.55 KES 1,491

63.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.90 KES 245

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.96 KES 253

40.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.41 KES 52.5

241.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.57 KES 202

98.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.50 KES 193

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.86 KES 369

392.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.19 KES 154

13.45%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

23.38%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.9K KES 2.6M

65.35%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$33.69 KES 4,348

270.97%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.87 KES 2,177

-19.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$39.58 KES 5,109

-53.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$54.4 KES 7,016

13.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.08 KES 785

51.15%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$64.5 KES 8,318

983.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,609 KES 982.1K

104.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$17.94 KES 2,316

221.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$24.29 KES 3,135

45.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$65.7 KES 8,481

72.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$57.7 KES 7,440

49.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$95.2 KES 12.3K

547.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$78.3 KES 10.1K

469.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$330 KES 42.6K

520.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$210 KES 27.1K

609.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$117 KES 15.0K

349.55%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Nanyuki: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $95.2 in Nanyuki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 350% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Nanyuki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $195 per month, with Nanyuki 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 Nanyuki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanyuki wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nanyuki the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 350% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $95.2 in Nanyuki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $617 in Nanyuki – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $617 in Nanyuki versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nanyuki but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nanyuki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nanyuki delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $617 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nanyuki hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Nanyuki 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 Nanyuki gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.