Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wote Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wote

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $584 in Wote.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $892 in Wote.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,201 in Wote.

Living in Phuket is roughly 111% more expensive than Wote, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Wote 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.16 KES 408

46.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$39.10 KES 5,053

19.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$7.01 KES 906

26.11%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$1.56 KES 202

92.31%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$0.37 KES 48.02

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.22 KES 28.41

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$2.13 KES 275

14.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.33 KES 302

54.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$0.74 KES 96.2

205.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$0.53 KES 68.5

247.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.51 KES 195

48.34%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$1.36 KES 175

70.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$4.68 KES 605

320.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.24 KES 806

-41.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$5.46 KES 706

139.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$3.08 KES 398

10.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.04 KES 134

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$2.16 KES 279

11.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$0.59 KES 76.4

244.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$0.55 KES 71.3

183.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$1.17 KES 151

28.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.70 KES 90.5

45.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.55 KES 71.7

-10.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.04 KES 392

46.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$11.76 KES 1,520

60.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$2.30 KES 298

-22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$2.82 KES 365

-2.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.52 KES 197

105.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$1.51 KES 196

-33.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$2.88 KES 372

389.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.52 KES 197

-11.18%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$21.3K KES 2.7M

27.88%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$19.8K KES 2.6M

66.12%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$34.52 KES 4,461

262.05%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$16.89 KES 2,183

-19.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$39.54 KES 5,110

-53.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$6.26 KES 809

46.81%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$153 KES 19.8K

355.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$8,175 KES 1.1M

90.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$11.70 KES 1,512

393.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$7.57 KES 978

365.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$19.25 KES 2,488

487.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$22.92 KES 2,962

276.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$176 KES 22.8K

249.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$190 KES 24.5K

135.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$782 KES 101.0K

161.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$263 KES 34.0K

466.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

14.84

-64.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Wote: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $176 in Wote. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Wote for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $173 per month, with Wote 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 Wote: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wote is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $875 in Wote 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 $176 in Wote. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $153 in Wote. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wote – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $584 in Wote versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Wote but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Wote the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Wote 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 Wote 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 Wote gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.