Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kigali and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Kigali: $881 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Kigali
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Kigali Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Kigali

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$881

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kigali and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $881 in Kigali versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Kigali $881
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,373 in Kigali versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Kigali $1,373
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Kigali versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Kigali $1,865
Phuket $3,154

Living in Kigali costs roughly 31% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kigali 35% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 RWF 4,030

$4.47 ฿151

-38.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.98 RWF 45.6K

$32.41 ฿1,094

-4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 RWF 10.1K

$8.81 ฿297

-21.79%

Cappuccino

$2.44 RWF 3,586

$2.83 ฿95.5

-13.78%

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

$0.80 RWF 1,170

$0.87 ฿29.43

-8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 RWF 857

$0.49 ฿16.67

18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 RWF 1,525

$2.56 ฿86.4

-59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 RWF 3,555

$3.68 ฿124

-34.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 RWF 1,255

$1.66 ฿56.0

-48.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 RWF 1,506

$1.46 ฿49.35

-30.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 RWF 1,931

$1.50 ฿50.6

-12.67%

Eggs

$1.68 RWF 2,469

$2.09 ฿70.5

-19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.11 RWF 6,046

$19.07 ฿644

-78.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 RWF 6,804

$3.30 ฿111

40.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.43 RWF 6,523

$10.91 ฿368

-59.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 RWF 3,569

$2.93 ฿99.0

-17.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 RWF 1,132

$1.69 ฿57.1

-54.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 RWF 2,284

$2.25 ฿75.8

-31.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 RWF 1,585

$2.08 ฿70.1

-48.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 RWF 702

$1.51 ฿51.0

-68.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RWF 1,040

$1.38 ฿46.56

-48.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 RWF 971

$1.07 ฿35.99

-38.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 RWF 1,172

$0.52 ฿17.52

53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.98 RWF 2,915

$4.20 ฿142

-52.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 RWF 14.9K

$18.79 ฿634

-46.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 RWF 1,529

$1.82 ฿61.5

-42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 RWF 2,265

$2.84 ฿95.9

-45.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 RWF 516

$1.45 ฿49.03

-75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.84 RWF 38.0K

$56.7 ฿1,913

-54.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 RWF 4,059

$3.02 ฿102

-8.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 RWF 2,915

$1.02 ฿34.36

94.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 RWF 5,024

$3.69 ฿125

-7.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 RWF 2,770

$1.47 ฿49.81

27.89%

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

$26.3K RWF 38.7M

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-1.73%

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

$29.9K RWF 44.0M

$26.7K ฿901.3K

12.06%

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

$83.6 RWF 123.0K

$96.4 ฿3,254

-13.20%

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

$6.96 RWF 10.2K

$11.26 ฿380

-38.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.33 RWF 31.4K

$16.85 ฿569

26.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.27 RWF 43.1K

$67.2 ฿2,270

-56.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.15 RWF 6,109

$10.73 ฿362

-61.32%

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 RWF 5,102

$7.50 ฿253

-53.73%

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

$111 RWF 163.4K

$476 ฿16.1K

-76.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,515 RWF 14.0M

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-15.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.52 RWF 25.8K

$62.4 ฿2,106

-71.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.25 RWF 22.4K

$28.41 ฿959

-46.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.03 RWF 32.4K

$94.3 ฿3,184

-76.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.75 RWF 49.6K

$85.8 ฿2,898

-60.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 RWF 988.3K

$716 ฿24.2K

-6.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 RWF 610.0K

$491 ฿16.6K

-15.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 RWF 2.0M

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-29.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 RWF 1.2M

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-41.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,389 RWF 5.0M

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-18.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,078 RWF 4.5M

$3,045 ฿102.8K

1.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$279 RWF 410.7K

$502 ฿17.0K

-44.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

5.57

190.84%

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

Last update for Kigali: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kigali

$415 47.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 18.4% $76

Groceries & Markets

Kigali

$151 17.2%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 75.9% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kigali

$112 12.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 11.2% $13

Eating Out

Kigali

$87 9.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 39.3% $34

Getting Around

Kigali

$40 4.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 76.8% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Kigali

$40 4.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 206% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Kigali

$36 4.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 127% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Kigali and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 80% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $31 in Kigali vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $266 per month, with Kigali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Kigali

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

20:40 8:40 PM

01:40 1:40 AM

5 h ahead of Kigali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,132,686 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc (Fr)

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,471 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,638 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to RWF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kigali Phuket 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Kigali
Phuket

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

Kigali vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kigali wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kigali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Kigali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $672 in Kigali versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kigali – a meal for two runs $31 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Kigali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kigali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $881 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kigali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kigali 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 Kigali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.