Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Narok

For one person, living is cheaper in Narok: $608 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Narok, Kenya
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Narok
🇰🇪 Kenya
$608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Narok

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 Narok actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $608 in Narok.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Narok $608

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $922 in Narok.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Narok $922

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,235 in Narok.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Narok $1,235

Living in Phuket is roughly 110% more expensive than in Narok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Narok 55% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Narok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$2.29 KES 297
95.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$22.64 KES 2,939
43.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$4.75 KES 617
85.47%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$1.93 KES 251
46.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.40
$0.37 KES 47.87
135.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.24 KES 31.18
104.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$1.97 KES 256
29.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.25 KES 292
63.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Narok
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$0.76 KES 98.6
118.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.29
$0.48 KES 62.0
204.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.43 KES 186
4.90%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.21 KES 157
72.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$6.03 KES 783
216.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$6.25 KES 812
-47.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$6.21 KES 806
75.68%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.8
$2.99 KES 388
-2.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.07 KES 139
57.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$2.04 KES 264
10.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$0.79 KES 103
163.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.79 KES 103
91.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.51
$0.75 KES 97.8
84.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.95
$0.75 KES 97.4
42.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.50
$0.52 KES 67.2
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$1.50 KES 195
180.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$7.10 KES 921
164.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.90 KES 246
-4.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.26 KES 294
25.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Narok
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.97
$1.12 KES 146
29.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,911
$38.58 KES 5,008
46.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.51 KES 195
100.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.32
$1.37 KES 178
-25.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$1.14 KES 148
223.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.75
$1.39 KES 180
5.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.2K
$19.2K KES 2.5M
39.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.3K
$21.3K KES 2.8M
25.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Narok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,250
$55.2 KES 7,170
74.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$7.56 KES 981
48.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$23.01 KES 2,987
-26.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Narok
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$23.43 KES 3,041
186.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$2.35 KES 305
356.60%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$7.84 KES 1,017
-4.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Narok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$58.4 KES 7,583
714.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.9K
$7,728 KES 1.0M
45.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Narok
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,103
$15.58 KES 2,022
300.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$15.58 KES 2,023
82.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,180
$23.13 KES 3,003
307.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,894
$38.05 KES 4,938
125.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Narok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$234 KES 30.4K
206.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$152 KES 19.7K
222.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$305 KES 39.6K
531.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$235 KES 30.5K
509.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.8K
$1,522 KES 197.5K
174.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$1,140 KES 147.9K
167.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Narok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$310 KES 40.2K
61.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
13
-57.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Narok: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Narok
$152 69% $339
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Narok
$166 37.8% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Narok
$86 31.1% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Narok
$42 65.9% $80
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Narok
$73 40.4% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Narok
$39 52.5% $43
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Narok
$51 27.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $234 in Narok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 62% 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 in Phuket vs $23 in Narok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $166 per month, with Narok cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇰🇪 Narok
🕒 Local time
21:14 9:14 PM
17:14 5:14 PM
4 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
40,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Narok 7,000 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Narok

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 Narok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Narok?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $608 in Narok, so Narok is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Phuket or Narok?
Average pay runs 62% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Narok?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $234 in Narok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Narok?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $58 in Narok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $608 in Narok versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Narok but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Narok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Narok?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Narok?
Expats usually find Narok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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