Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Thika and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $506 in Thika versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $862 in Thika versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,218 in Thika versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Thika costs roughly 60% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Thika 63% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 KES 446

$4.66 ฿154

-25.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.50 KES 4,461

$32.22 ฿1,065

7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 KES 811

$8.68 ฿287

-27.76%

Cappuccino

$1.90 KES 246

$2.90 ฿95.8

-34.48%

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

$0.30 KES 38.72

$0.84 ฿27.89

-64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.8

$0.49 ฿16.16

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 KES 257

$2.48 ฿82.0

-20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 KES 272

$3.73 ฿123

-43.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 KES 89.5

$1.89 ฿62.3

-63.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 57.2

$1.41 ฿46.54

-68.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 KES 149

$1.62 ฿53.6

-29.01%

Eggs

$1.41 KES 182

$2.24 ฿74.1

-37.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 KES 1,328

$19.84 ฿656

-48.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 KES 822

$3.48 ฿115

82.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.97 KES 513

$11.37 ฿376

-65.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 KES 201

$2.90 ฿95.8

-46.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.64 KES 83.2

$1.72 ฿57.0

-62.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$2.27 ฿75.1

-64.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 KES 140

$2.13 ฿70.4

-49.30%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 KES 48.79

$1.47 ฿48.72

-74.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 KES 57.5

$1.42 ฿46.92

-69.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 94.0

$1.10 ฿36.25

-33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 KES 48.63

$0.60 ฿19.76

-36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 KES 359

$4.31 ฿142

-35.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.69 KES 735

$18.60 ฿615

-69.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 KES 238

$1.80 ฿59.5

2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 256

$2.97 ฿98.0

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$3.10 ฿102

-50.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 KES 119

$1.08 ฿35.56

-14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KES 383

$3.87 ฿128

-23.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 KES 179

$1.43 ฿47.16

-3.50%

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

$20.4K KES 2.6M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-26.68%

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

$20.1K KES 2.6M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-25.50%

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

$35.10 KES 4,539

$105 ฿3,462

-66.51%

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

$15.12 KES 1,955

$11.39 ฿376

32.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.30 KES 4,564

$17.54 ฿580

101.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.51 KES 5,885

$54.3 ฿1,795

-16.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 KES 989

$7.78 ฿257

-1.67%

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

$53.9 KES 6,967

$576 ฿19.0K

-90.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,541 KES 457.8K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-69.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.29 KES 3,529

$63.6 ฿2,103

-57.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.43 KES 3,417

$29.10 ฿961

-9.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.5 KES 8,206

$96.2 ฿3,179

-34.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.58 KES 2,532

$90.0 ฿2,974

-78.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$98.4 KES 12.7K

$733 ฿24.2K

-86.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$58.7 KES 7,584

$501 ฿16.5K

-88.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 KES 34.9K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-87.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 KES 22.9K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-85.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$616 KES 79.6K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-82.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

5.57

164.09%

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

Last update for Thika: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $98.4 in Thika and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Thika vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $150 vs $275, with Thika 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

Thika vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thika is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 150% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $760 in Thika and $1,898 in Phuket 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: $98.4 in Thika versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $53.9 in Thika versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Thika – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $506 in Thika versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Thika but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Thika the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thika 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, Thika and Phuket 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 Thika gentler on the wallet – expenses run 150% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.