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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $577 in Nanyuki.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $965 in Nanyuki.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,352 in Nanyuki.

Living in Phuket is roughly 119% more expensive than in Nanyuki, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Nanyuki 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.89 KES 503

19.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$35.36 KES 4,572

-8.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.33 KES 819

37.12%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.66 KES 344

9.02%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.57 KES 73.4

47.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.56 KES 71.8

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.34 KES 302

5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.67 KES 346

39.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.90 KES 116

110.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.54 KES 69.6

161.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.18 KES 152

37.29%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.65 KES 214

35.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.37 KES 1,340

91.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.17 KES 798

-43.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$6.23 KES 806

82.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.34 KES 431

-13.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.99 KES 128

73.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.03 KES 262

11.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.07 KES 139

99.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.10 KES 142

33.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.09 KES 141

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.73 KES 94.4

50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.72 KES 93.1

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.45 KES 445

24.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.82 KES 1,528

57.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$2.31 KES 298

-22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.77 KES 358

7.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.51 KES 195

105.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.51 KES 195

-28.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.86 KES 370

35.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.59 KES 205

-10.06%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.5K KES 2.7M

35.41%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$19.6K KES 2.5M

37.45%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$60.6 KES 7,832

73.02%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$15.47 KES 2,000

-26.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$35.53 KES 4,594

-50.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.86 KES 1,017

-1.02%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$239 KES 30.9K

141.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$11.6K KES 1.5M

-0.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$27.29 KES 3,529

133.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$25.78 KES 3,333

12.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$62.3 KES 8,050

54.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$60.3 KES 7,792

49.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$76.1 KES 9,840

863.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$65.0 KES 8,406

670.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$231 KES 29.9K

819.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$194 KES 25.1K

544.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$118 KES 15.2K

331.67%

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 Nanyuki: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $76.1 in Nanyuki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 332% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Nanyuki. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $200, with Nanyuki cheaper for home cooking.

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 119% 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 332% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $76.1 in Nanyuki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $577 in Nanyuki – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $577 in Nanyuki versus $1,265 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 $577 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 119% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.