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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $601 in Nanyuki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $999 in Nanyuki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,398 in Nanyuki.

Living in Phuket is roughly 110% more expensive than in Nanyuki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Nanyuki 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.76 KES 486

19.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$31.02 KES 4,009

46.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.91 KES 893

26.77%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.82 KES 236

63.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.70 KES 90.0

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.53 KES 69.1

-26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.28 KES 295

10.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.98 KES 385

25.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.91 KES 118

136.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.52 KES 67.9

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.14 KES 148

91.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.60 KES 206

40.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$11.59 KES 1,498

72.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.70 KES 866

-45.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$3.98 KES 514

240.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$3.13 KES 404

3.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.05 KES 135

56.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$2.09 KES 270

11.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.00 KES 130

107.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.04 KES 134

49.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.11 KES 143

31.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.70 KES 90.3

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.81 KES 105

-40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.65 KES 342

64.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$11.36 KES 1,468

63.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.94 KES 251

-4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.97 KES 254

34.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.37 KES 48.26

283.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.59 KES 206

99.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.51 KES 196

-31.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$2.91 KES 376

377.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.20 KES 156

11.67%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$21.3K KES 2.7M

30.62%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$19.8K KES 2.6M

68.89%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$34.63 KES 4,477

255.33%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$16.80 KES 2,171

-18.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$38.94 KES 5,033

-52.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$54.9 KES 7,094

10.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.28 KES 811

41.24%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$65.5 KES 8,465

950.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$7,838 KES 1.0M

101.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$18.57 KES 2,401

219.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$24.15 KES 3,122

43.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$66.0 KES 8,536

74.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$56.9 KES 7,357

47.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$98.5 KES 12.7K

530.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$79.1 KES 10.2K

463.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$333 KES 43.0K

511.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$212 KES 27.4K

604.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$115 KES 14.8K

330.36%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Nanyuki: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $98.5 in Nanyuki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 330% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Nanyuki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 110% 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.

Average pay runs 330% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $98.5 in Nanyuki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $601 in Nanyuki – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $601 in Nanyuki versus $1,264 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 $601 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 110% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.