Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wote

For one person, living is cheaper in Wote: $601 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Wote, Kenya
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Wote
🇰🇪 Kenya
$601
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Wote

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Wote actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $601 in Wote.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Wote $601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,062 in Wote.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Wote $1,062

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,523 in Wote.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Wote $1,523

Living in Phuket is roughly 113% more expensive than in Wote, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Wote 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Wote
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$3.01 KES 391
48.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$34.42 KES 4,468
-5.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$6.48 KES 841
35.96%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$1.50 KES 195
88.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.40
$0.39 KES 50.7
123.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$0.22 KES 28.50
122.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.13 KES 277
20.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.33 KES 303
57.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Wote
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$0.75 KES 97.3
121.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.29
$0.58 KES 74.9
151.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.47 KES 191
2.04%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.35 KES 175
54.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$4.74 KES 615
302.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$5.99 KES 777
-44.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$5.63 KES 730
93.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.8
$3.33 KES 433
-12.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.07 KES 139
57.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$2.00 KES 260
12.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$0.61 KES 78.6
240.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.56 KES 72.6
169.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.51
$1.09 KES 142
26.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.95
$0.75 KES 97.6
42.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.50
$0.55 KES 72.0
-5.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$3.44 KES 447
22.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$11.40 KES 1,480
64.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$2.26 KES 293
-19.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.75 KES 357
3.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Wote
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.97
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,911
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.51 KES 196
100.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.32
$1.51 KES 196
-32.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$2.81 KES 364
31.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.75
$1.53 KES 199
-3.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.2K
$19.1K KES 2.5M
40.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.3K
$21.8K KES 2.8M
22.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Wote
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,250
$54.8 KES 7,116
75.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$15.02 KES 1,950
-25.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$35.15 KES 4,563
-52.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Wote
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$7.58 KES 984
-1.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Wote
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$154 KES 20.0K
208.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.9K
$12.2K KES 1.6M
-7.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Wote
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,103
$11.68 KES 1,516
433.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$7.59 KES 985
274.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,180
$19.48 KES 2,529
384.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,894
$22.94 KES 2,978
274.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Wote
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$377 KES 49.0K
89.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$191 KES 24.9K
156.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$772 KES 100.2K
149.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$584 KES 75.8K
144.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.8K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Wote
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wote: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Wote
$191 61% $299
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Wote
$173 35.1% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Wote
$105 15.6% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Wote
$28 77.2% $94
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Wote
$79 34.8% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Wote
$15 * 81.6% $67
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Wote
$9.1 * 87.2% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $377 in Wote. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $34 in Wote. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $173, with Wote cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇰🇪 Wote
🕒 Local time
02:02 2:02 AM
22:02 10:02 PM
4 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
19,725
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Wote 6,820 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Wote

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Wote cheaper than Phuket?
Wote is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $901 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Wote?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $377 in Wote. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $154 in Wote. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Wote?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $34 in Wote. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Wote?
At $601 in Wote versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 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.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Wote?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Wote?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Wote are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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