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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $587 in Wote.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $904 in Wote.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Wote.

Living in Phuket is roughly 116% more expensive than in Wote, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Wote 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.05 KES 395

46.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$37.97 KES 4,908

20.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.70 KES 866

30.75%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.59 KES 205

86.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.37 KES 48.45

86.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.24 KES 31.10

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.22 KES 286

13.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.29 KES 296

63.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.74 KES 95.8

190.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.57 KES 73.1

219.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.45 KES 188

50.34%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.41 KES 182

59.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$4.72 KES 610

323.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.01 KES 777

-39.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$5.56 KES 719

143.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$3.14 KES 406

3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.07 KES 138

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$2.09 KES 270

11.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.60 KES 77.5

245.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.53 KES 68.0

192.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.16 KES 150

25.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.64 KES 82.5

53.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.51 KES 66.5

-5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$3.03 KES 392

43.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$11.41 KES 1,475

62.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.25 KES 291

-17.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.73 KES 353

-2.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.59 KES 206

99.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.51 KES 195

-31.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$2.93 KES 378

374.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.52 KES 196

-11.84%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$21.5K KES 2.8M

29.06%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

65.33%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$34.59 KES 4,470

255.74%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$16.86 KES 2,179

-18.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$39.81 KES 5,146

-53.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.27 KES 810

41.47%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$153 KES 19.7K

350.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$7,972 KES 1.0M

97.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$11.82 KES 1,528

401.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$7.95 KES 1,028

336.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$19.40 KES 2,507

493.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$23.56 KES 3,045

255.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$176 KES 22.7K

253.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$193 KES 24.9K

131.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$773 KES 100.0K

162.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$261 KES 33.7K

474.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Wote: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $176 in Wote. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Wote for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $171 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 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $880 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: $621 in Phuket versus $176 in Wote. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 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 $38.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $587 in Wote versus $1,264 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 116% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.