Cost of Living Comparison Between East Providence, RI and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between East Providence, RI and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,971 in East Providence, RI versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,250 in East Providence, RI versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,530 in East Providence, RI versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in East Providence, RI is roughly 135% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: East Providence, RI is 123% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.67 $24.67

$4.48 ฿150

450.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$45.59 ฿1,521

115.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$8.76 ฿292

39.16%

Cappuccino

$4.20 $4.20

$2.97 ฿99.0

41.41%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$0.69 ฿22.90

301.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$0.39 ฿13.04

430.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.53 ฿84.4

131.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 $7.53

$3.75 ฿125

100.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$2.15 ฿71.6

-40.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.82 ฿60.6

89.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.18 ฿72.9

44.50%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$2.25 ฿75.0

106.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$20.00 ฿667

-13.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.89 $12.89

$3.63 ฿121

255.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.79 $17.79

$13.56 ฿452

31.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$3.24 ฿108

113.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.64 ฿54.6

32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$2.33 ฿77.8

149.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.07 ฿69.1

184.54%

Potato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.55 ฿51.6

183.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.46 ฿48.54

138.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.98 ฿32.86

143.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.48 ฿16.09

356.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.02 $12.02

$4.35 ฿145

176.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 $13.92

$18.57 ฿620

-25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.86 ฿61.9

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.65 ฿88.6

-25.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.42 ฿47.28

42.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.17 ฿106

25.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.03 ฿34.41

111.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.45 $29.45

$13.89 ฿463

112.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.34 ฿44.84

-34.33%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

0.01%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-24.58%

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

$184 $184

$123 ฿4,105

49.57%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$13.77 ฿459

431.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$18.33 ฿611

275.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.53 $43.53

$60.7 ฿2,025

-28.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.5 $57.5

$17.16 ฿573

235.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$8.87 ฿296

67.42%

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

$1,268 $1,268

$688 ฿22.9K

84.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.2K $33.2K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

110.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 $51.6

$59.3 ฿1,978

-13.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.02 $33.02

$34.69 ฿1,157

-4.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.0 $66.0

$115 ฿3,843

-42.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 $85.0

$83.8 ฿2,794

1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,856 $1,856

$621 ฿20.7K

198.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$446 ฿14.9K

258.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$2,034 ฿67.8K

28.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,296 $2,296

$1,496 ฿49.9K

53.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 $2,826

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-18.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,202 $2,202

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-13.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,230 $6,230

$494 ฿16.5K

1162.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

5.33

19.70%

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

Last update for East Providence, RI: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,856 in East Providence, RI and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Providence, RI pays 1162% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in East Providence, RI vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $291 per month, with Phuket 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

East Providence, RI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 135% lower than in East Providence, RI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1162% higher in East Providence, RI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,856 in East Providence, RI versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,268 in East Providence, RI versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $98.0 in East Providence, RI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,971 in East Providence, RI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in East Providence, RI. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, East Providence, RI 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in East Providence, RI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.