Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thika Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thika

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $506 in Thika.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $862 in Thika.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,218 in Thika.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.45 KES 446

35.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$34.50 KES 4,461

-6.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.27 KES 811

38.44%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.90 KES 246

52.63%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.30 KES 38.72

180.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.56 KES 72.8

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.98 KES 257

25.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.10 KES 272

77.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.69 KES 89.5

173.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.44 KES 57.2

220.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.15 KES 149

40.87%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.41 KES 182

58.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.27 KES 1,328

93.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.36 KES 822

-45.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$3.97 KES 513

186.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.56 KES 201

85.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.64 KES 83.2

168.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.81 KES 104

180.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.08 KES 140

97.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.38 KES 48.79

286.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.44 KES 57.5

222.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.73 KES 94.0

50.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.38 KES 48.63

57.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.77 KES 359

55.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.69 KES 735

226.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.84 KES 238

-2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.98 KES 256

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.52 KES 197

103.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.92 KES 119

17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.96 KES 383

30.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.38 KES 179

3.62%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.4K KES 2.6M

36.39%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

34.23%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$35.10 KES 4,539

198.58%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$15.12 KES 1,955

-24.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$35.30 KES 4,564

-50.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$45.51 KES 5,885

19.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.65 KES 989

1.70%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$53.9 KES 6,967

969.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$3,541 KES 457.8K

227.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$27.29 KES 3,529

133.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$26.43 KES 3,417

10.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$63.5 KES 8,206

51.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$19.58 KES 2,532

359.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$98.4 KES 12.7K

644.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$58.7 KES 7,584

753.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$270 KES 34.9K

687.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$177 KES 22.9K

606.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$616 KES 79.6K

473.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Thika: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $98.4 in Thika. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Thika. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $150, with Thika cheaper for home cooking.

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 Thika: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $760 in Thika 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: $733 in Phuket versus $98.4 in Thika. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $53.9 in Thika. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Thika – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $506 in Thika versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Thika but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Thika the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thika 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 Thika 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 Thika 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.