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: $478 in Thika versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $795 in Thika versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,113 in Thika versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Thika costs roughly 61% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Thika 64% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.27 KES 681

$4.63 ฿151

13.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.16 KES 5,061

$46.84 ฿1,523

-16.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 KES 899

$8.84 ฿287

-21.38%

Cappuccino

$2.44 KES 315

$3.00 ฿97.4

-18.67%

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

$0.74 KES 95.8

$0.74 ฿24.11

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KES 64.5

$0.37 ฿11.88

35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 KES 223

$2.44 ฿79.3

-29.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 256

$3.61 ฿117

-45.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 KES 120

$2.26 ฿73.5

-59.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.44 KES 57.5

$1.84 ฿59.8

-76.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 KES 171

$2.24 ฿73.0

-40.63%

Eggs

$1.37 KES 177

$2.32 ฿75.3

-40.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 KES 1,488

$19.67 ฿639

-41.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.86 KES 887

$3.65 ฿119

87.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$1.98 KES 255

$13.10 ฿426

-84.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 KES 390

$3.39 ฿110

-10.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.64 ฿53.4

-34.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 KES 270

$2.41 ฿78.5

-13.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 135

$2.03 ฿66.0

-48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 KES 134

$1.56 ฿50.6

-33.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 KES 144

$1.50 ฿48.66

-26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 88.6

$1.02 ฿33.30

-32.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 KES 106

$0.49 ฿15.91

67.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 KES 304

$4.45 ฿145

-47.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 KES 731

$18.88 ฿614

-70.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 KES 223

$1.78 ฿57.7

-2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 KES 247

$2.75 ฿89.5

-30.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 KES 198

$3.12 ฿101

-50.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 KES 203

$1.00 ฿32.48

57.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 KES 383

$14.09 ฿458

-78.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 KES 132

$1.35 ฿43.93

-24.44%

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

$22.1K KES 2.9M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-18.74%

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

$19.7K KES 2.6M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-40.04%

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

$34.17 KES 4,415

$125 ฿4,063

-72.66%

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

$17.06 KES 2,205

$13.57 ฿441

25.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.97 KES 5,036

$18.52 ฿602

110.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 KES 814

$9.19 ฿299

-31.45%

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

$202 KES 26.1K

$698 ฿22.7K

-71.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,948 KES 1.0M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-49.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.57 KES 2,400

$57.8 ฿1,878

-67.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.27 KES 3,136

$35.24 ฿1,146

-31.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 KES 8,593

$113 ฿3,677

-41.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.7 KES 7,324

$86.4 ฿2,808

-34.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$615 KES 79.5K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-83.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

5.33

115.76%

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

Last update for Thika: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $39.00 in Thika vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $292 per month, with Thika 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

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 158% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $717 in Thika and $1,847 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.

Childcare runs $202 in Thika versus $698 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 $39.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $478 in Thika versus $1,232 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 158% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.