Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nyeri

For one person, living is cheaper in Nyeri: $503 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Nyeri
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Nyeri Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Nyeri

🇰🇪 Kenya

$503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nyeri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $503 in Nyeri.

Phuket $1,207
Nyeri $503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $860 in Nyeri.

Phuket $2,037
Nyeri $860

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,218 in Nyeri.

Phuket $2,867
Nyeri $1,218

Living in Phuket is roughly 140% more expensive than in Nyeri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Nyeri 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$4.57 KES 592

0.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$34.72 KES 4,501

-6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$6.53 KES 847

30.93%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.96 KES 254

38.78%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.29 KES 38.21

224.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.56 KES 72.4

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.29 KES 297

13.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.68 KES 348

42.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.48 KES 62.8

262.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.49 KES 63.0

191.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$0.87 KES 112

75.86%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.75 KES 227

24.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$10.62 KES 1,376

80.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.99 KES 776

-44.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$4.50 KES 583

147.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$0.74 KES 96.4

298.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.52 KES 67.4

223.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.71 KES 92.1

223.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.33 KES 42.17

545.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.24 KES 31.15

537.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.44 KES 56.7

209.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.69 KES 89.7

62.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.57 KES 73.5

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.50 KES 194

184.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$11.76 KES 1,525

54.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.23 KES 290

-21.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.69 KES 349

3.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.74 KES 95.9

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$15.59 KES 2,022

41.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.53 KES 198

90.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.14 KES 147

-11.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$1.18 KES 154

224.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.40 KES 182

6.43%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$22.0K KES 2.8M

21.38%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

31.58%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$15.70 KES 2,035

532.93%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$11.59 KES 1,503

-2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$35.66 KES 4,623

-51.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$34.62 KES 4,488

51.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$46.47 KES 6,025

-76.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$7.84 KES 1,017

-3.44%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$253 KES 32.8K

120.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$12.1K KES 1.6M

-5.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$11.52 KES 1,494

445.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$13.83 KES 1,792

106.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$34.92 KES 4,527

175.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$19.09 KES 2,475

361.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$92.9 KES 12.0K

685.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$70.6 KES 9,150

551.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$195 KES 25.2K

977.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$152 KES 19.7K

706.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$228 KES 29.6K

115.86%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Nyeri: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Nyeri

$71 14% 84.7% $389

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Nyeri

$158 31.4% 40.9% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Nyeri

$63 12.5% 50.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Nyeri

$36 7.1% 71.2% $88

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Nyeri

$100 19.8% 17.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Nyeri

$50 10% 25.4% $17

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Nyeri

$26 5.1% 33.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $92.9 in Nyeri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 116% 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 Nyeri. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $158, with Nyeri cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇰🇪 Nyeri

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

18:15 6:15 PM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

98,908

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Phuket Nyeri 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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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 Nyeri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Nyeri differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($1,207 vs $503 including rent). Nyeri is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 116% 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: $729 in Phuket versus $92.9 in Nyeri. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nyeri – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $503 in Nyeri versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nyeri but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nyeri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Nyeri 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 Nyeri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.