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: $2,927 in East Providence, RI versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,206 in East Providence, RI versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,486 in East Providence, RI versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in East Providence, RI is roughly 138% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: East Providence, RI is 119% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 $24.80

$4.63 ฿151

435.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.8 $99.8

$46.84 ฿1,523

113.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$8.84 ฿287

37.90%

Cappuccino

$4.36 $4.36

$3.00 ฿97.4

45.33%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$0.74 ฿24.11

278.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.37 ฿11.88

443.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.44 ฿79.3

149.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 $7.29

$3.61 ฿117

101.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.26 ฿73.5

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.84 ฿59.8

80.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.24 ฿73.0

35.27%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$2.32 ฿75.3

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.86 $17.86

$19.67 ฿639

-9.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 $13.23

$3.65 ฿119

262.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.31 $17.31

$13.10 ฿426

32.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.92 $6.92

$3.39 ฿110

104.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.64 ฿53.4

33.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$2.41 ฿78.5

148.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$2.03 ฿66.0

185.22%

Potato (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.56 ฿50.6

185.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.50 ฿48.66

140.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.02 ฿33.30

133.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.49 ฿15.91

355.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.91 $11.91

$4.45 ฿145

167.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$18.88 ฿614

-21.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.78 ฿57.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.75 ฿89.5

-28.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.40 ฿45.54

40.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.12 ฿101

25.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.00 ฿32.48

120.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.47 $29.47

$14.09 ฿458

109.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.35 ฿43.93

-33.33%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

3.25%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.35%

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

$188 $188

$125 ฿4,063

50.54%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$13.57 ฿441

439.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$18.52 ฿602

282.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.40 $42.40

$61.5 ฿1,999

-31.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$58.1 $58.1

$16.84 ฿547

245.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 $14.65

$9.19 ฿299

59.41%

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

$1,276 $1,276

$698 ฿22.7K

82.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K $33.6K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

115.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$57.8 ฿1,878

-8.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.13 $33.13

$35.24 ฿1,146

-5.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 $65.5

$113 ฿3,677

-42.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 $84.0

$86.4 ฿2,808

-2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 $1,864

$616 ฿20.0K

202.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 $1,627

$446 ฿14.5K

264.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,648 $2,648

$2,048 ฿66.6K

29.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,370 $2,370

$1,492 ฿48.5K

58.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,258 $6,258

$524 ฿17.0K

1094.73%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,864 in East Providence, RI and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Providence, RI pays 1095% 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: $100 in East Providence, RI vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $448 vs $292 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 138% 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.

East Providence, RI pays 1095% more on average, 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: $1,864 in East Providence, RI versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,276 in East Providence, RI 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 Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $100 in East Providence, RI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,927 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 $1,232 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 138% less than in East Providence, RI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.