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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $576 in Wote.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $896 in Wote.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Wote.

Living in Phuket is roughly 119% more expensive than Wote, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Wote 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.03 KES 392

50.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$38.31 KES 4,967

21.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.66 KES 863

27.18%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.59 KES 206

90.57%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.38 KES 49.10

81.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.22 KES 28.37

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.11 KES 274

18.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.34 KES 303

56.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.80 KES 103

172.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.53 KES 68.7

258.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.45 KES 188

51.72%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.37 KES 177

62.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.71 KES 610

324.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.11 KES 792

-40.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$5.68 KES 737

133.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$3.06 KES 397

5.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.08 KES 140

57.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.08 KES 270

14.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.64 KES 82.7

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.52 KES 67.5

205.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.17 KES 151

26.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.65 KES 83.7

58.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.52 KES 68.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$3.15 KES 408

34.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$11.56 KES 1,499

62.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.19 KES 285

-19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.70 KES 350

2.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.58 KES 204

98.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.56 KES 202

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.88 KES 373

378.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.51 KES 195

-11.26%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$22.0K KES 2.9M

25.65%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$20.0K KES 2.6M

69.65%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$34.26 KES 4,442

260.74%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$16.61 KES 2,154

-18.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$39.98 KES 5,184

-53.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.02 KES 780

51.83%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$155 KES 20.1K

352.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,059 KES 1.0M

96.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$11.84 KES 1,535

402.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$7.87 KES 1,020

345.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$19.43 KES 2,519

493.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$23.57 KES 3,056

256.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$172 KES 22.3K

260.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$197 KES 25.5K

119.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$770 KES 99.8K

167.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$264 KES 34.3K

471.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Wote: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $172 in Wote. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Wote for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $172 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 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $865 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: $619 in Phuket versus $172 in Wote. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $155 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 $38.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $576 in Wote versus $1,261 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 119% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.