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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $482 in Qena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $784 in Qena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,086 in Qena.

Living in Phuket is roughly 162% more expensive than Qena, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Qena 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.91 E£200

16.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$16.05 E£820

190.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.87 E£300

44.29%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.66 E£84.9

82.53%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.34 E£17.57

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.15 E£7.61

146.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.93 E£98.3

29.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.74 E£140

33.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.01 E£51.6

115.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.61 E£31.13

211.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.69 E£35.47

218.84%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.10 E£107

5.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$3.60 E£184

455.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.52 E£333

-43.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.15 E£518

30.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.37 E£69.8

135.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.47 E£24.07

261.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.42 E£21.64

469.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.58 E£29.40

258.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.50 E£25.54

218.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.57 E£29.32

159.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.30 E£15.51

243.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.18 E£9.37

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.92 E£98.2

121.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.63 E£390

146.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.27 E£64.8

38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.81 E£92.6

52.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.18 E£9.24

655.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.41 E£21.00

665.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.13 E£6.61

700.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.03 E£104

578.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.35 E£17.93

282.86%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$17.9K E£915.4K

54.41%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$33.1K E£1.7M

2.30%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$26.40 E£1,348

368.14%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$6.49 E£331

108.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$12.68 E£647

47.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$21.80 E£1,113

183.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.38 E£173

170.41%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$98.0 E£5,004

617.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$589 E£30.1K

2596.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$11.28 E£576

427.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$19.62 E£1,002

78.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$108 E£5,534

6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$49.93 E£2,550

68.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$190 E£9,721

225.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$98.8 E£5,045

337.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$308 E£15.7K

568.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$176 E£8,990

758.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$866 E£44.2K

320.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$458 E£23.4K

473.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Qena: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $190 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 $293 vs $147 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 162% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $723 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: $619 in Phuket versus $190 in Qena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $98.0 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 $482 in Qena versus $1,261 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 162% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.