Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qena Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $493 in Qena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $772 in Qena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,052 in Qena.

Living in Phuket is roughly 150% more expensive than Qena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Qena 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.93 E£209

17.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$15.55 E£824

201.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.08 E£322

45.39%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.62 E£85.8

85.19%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.35 E£18.47

111.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.14 E£7.66

164.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.02 E£107

20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.64 E£140

36.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.00 E£53.2

126.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.58 E£30.64

217.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.71 E£37.54

215.49%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.08 E£110

11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$3.40 E£180

478.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.43 E£341

-43.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.82 E£520

33.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.34 E£70.8

152.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.43 E£22.93

281.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.42 E£22.48

473.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.62 E£32.70

227.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.49 E£26.19

218.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.54 E£28.51

177.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.30 E£15.97

240.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.20 E£10.64

145.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.93 E£102

130.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.46 E£396

153.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.20 E£63.8

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.83 E£97.2

50.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.21 E£10.90

566.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.39 E£20.57

700.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.14 E£7.58

614.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.01 E£106

601.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.35 E£18.76

285.71%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$17.7K E£937.2K

53.75%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$32.9K E£1.7M

0.05%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$25.92 E£1,374

382.18%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$6.56 E£348

106.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$12.70 E£673

45.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.24 E£1,179

176.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.38 E£179

171.89%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$100 E£5,308

597.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$595 E£31.5K

2520.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$11.35 E£602

408.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.58 E£1,038

79.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$107 E£5,666

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$50.4 E£2,669

71.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$192 E£10.2K

220.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$97.7 E£5,176

356.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$305 E£16.1K

572.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$181 E£9,600

723.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$667 E£35.4K

466.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$368 E£19.5K

620.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Qena: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $192 in Qena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $16.00 in Qena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $144 per month, with Qena 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 Qena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qena is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 150% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $739 in Qena to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $192 in Qena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $100 in Qena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Qena – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $493 in Qena versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qena but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Qena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Qena 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 Qena 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 Qena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.