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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $605 in Wote.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,053 in Wote.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,500 in Wote.

Living in Phuket is roughly 109% more expensive than in Wote, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.04 KES 393

53.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$34.98 KES 4,523

-7.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.05 KES 783

43.47%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$1.51 KES 196

92.05%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$0.41 KES 52.4

104.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$0.22 KES 28.36

122.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

$2.22 KES 287

11.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.38 KES 307

56.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.75 KES 97.5

152.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$0.54 KES 69.4

161.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.45 KES 187

11.72%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.38 KES 178

62.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$4.71 KES 609

321.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.25 KES 808

-44.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$5.71 KES 738

99.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$3.34 KES 432

-13.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.05 KES 136

63.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$2.05 KES 265

10.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$0.61 KES 78.6

249.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$0.52 KES 67.6

182.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$1.09 KES 141

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$0.68 KES 87.4

61.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$0.55 KES 71.7

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.42 KES 443

26.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.60 KES 1,500

60.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$2.23 KES 289

-19.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

$2.74 KES 354

8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$1.51 KES 195

105.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$1.52 KES 196

-28.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$2.96 KES 383

30.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.58 KES 205

-9.49%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

$20.7K KES 2.7M

34.53%

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

$19.5K KES 2.5M

38.45%

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

$105 ฿3,466

$60.2 KES 7,782

74.14%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$15.48 KES 2,001

-26.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$35.70 KES 4,616

-50.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.61 KES 984

2.23%

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

$576 ฿19.1K

$157 KES 20.4K

266.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

$11.4K KES 1.5M

1.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$11.81 KES 1,527

438.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

$7.93 KES 1,025

266.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$19.32 KES 2,499

398.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$23.05 KES 2,980

290.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$383 KES 49.6K

91.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

$192 KES 24.9K

160.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$759 KES 98.2K

179.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$572 KES 74.0K

118.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

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 Wote: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $383 in Wote. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Wote. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $174, with Wote 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 Wote: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wote is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $908 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: $733 in Phuket versus $383 in Wote. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $157 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 $35.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $605 in Wote versus $1,265 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 109% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.