Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qebele Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qebele

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $641 in Qebele.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,131 in Qebele.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,621 in Qebele.

Living in Phuket is roughly 92% more expensive than in Qebele, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Qebele 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.77 ₼8.10

-7.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$17.95 ₼30.50

79.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.53 ₼4.31

14.62%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.61 ₼1.03

44.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.30 ₼0.51

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.15 ₼1.95

104.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.76 ₼2.99

111.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.29 ₼2.19

44.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$0.50 ₼0.86

194.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.38 ₼2.34

12.32%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.44 ₼2.44

45.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$5.69 ₼9.66

244.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.81 ₼6.48

-10.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$10.98 ₼18.65

3.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$0.90 ₼1.53

231.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.89 ₼3.22

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.76 ₼2.99

25.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.57 ₼2.67

37.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.52 ₼0.88

192.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.36 ₼0.62

272.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.52 ₼0.88

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.54 ₼4.32

67.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.20 ₼13.93

132.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.62 ₼2.75

9.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.47 ₼4.21

12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.28 ₼0.47

696.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$59.3 ₼101

-61.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.15 ₼3.66

40.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.25 ₼0.43

308.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$1.19 ₼2.03

226.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.62 ₼1.06

140.32%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$12.9K ₼21.8K

106.86%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$14.6K ₼24.8K

85.41%

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

$102 ฿3,411

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

$11.33 ฿377

$14.95 ₼25.41

-24.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$14.88 ₼25.29

16.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$17.89 ₼30.40

191.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$29.83 ₼50.7

-62.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$145 ₼247

285.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$23.98 ₼40.76

162.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$46.77 ₼79.5

-36.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$88.5 ₼150

10.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$117 ₼200

-24.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$206 ₼350

258.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$148 ₼251

226.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$995 ₼1,691

111.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$463 ₼787

164.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$698 ₼1,186

418.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$291 ₼495

793.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$235 ₼399

110.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-60.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Qebele: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $206 in Qebele. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 110% 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 $18.00 in Qebele for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $167 per month, with Qebele 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 Qebele: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qebele is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 110% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $206 in Qebele. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $145 in Qebele. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $641 in Qebele versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qebele but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qebele the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qebele is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Qebele 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 Qebele gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.