Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Butare Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Butare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $461 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $721 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $981 in Butare.

Living in Phuket is roughly 174% more expensive than in Butare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Butare 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$1.70 RWF 2,491

163.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

115.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.56 RWF 8,136

57.55%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.72 RWF 2,511

72.67%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.58 RWF 844

18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.36 RWF 529

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$0.67 RWF 982

277.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.06 RWF 1,554

253.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.40 RWF 582

437.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.96 RWF 1,407

89.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$0.95 RWF 1,394

129.47%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.43 RWF 2,090

57.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$2.26 RWF 3,310

784.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.11 RWF 4,555

16.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$2.70 RWF 3,951

402.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.33 RWF 3,415

39.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.88 RWF 1,292

86.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.12 RWF 1,645

108.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.72 RWF 1,057

187.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.34 RWF 501

355.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.43 RWF 636

239.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.38 RWF 552

157.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.57 RWF 840

-15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$1.25 RWF 1,834

248.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$10.40 RWF 15.2K

78.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$0.91 RWF 1,332

104.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.36 RWF 1,993

94.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.29 RWF 429

389.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$9.94 RWF 14.5K

16.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.11 RWF 3,081

50.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.92 RWF 1,350

11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$3.73 RWF 5,463

272.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.74 RWF 1,076

81.08%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$16.8K RWF 24.6M

65.00%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$8,546 RWF 12.5M

290.60%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$36.66 RWF 53.6K

235.65%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$9.03 RWF 13.2K

52.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$18.19 RWF 26.6K

0.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$25.43 RWF 37.2K

138.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$5.41 RWF 7,920

217.19%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$3.45 RWF 5,047

157.10%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$93.6 RWF 137.0K

634.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$1,373 RWF 2.0M

1049.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$13.69 RWF 20.0K

333.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$19.70 RWF 28.8K

76.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$24.46 RWF 35.8K

370.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$30.75 RWF 45.0K

172.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$207 RWF 303.4K

199.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$140 RWF 204.4K

219.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$316 RWF 462.3K

543.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$239 RWF 349.8K

525.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.2

-67.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Butare: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $207 in Butare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $117 per month, with Butare 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

Phuket vs Butare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 174% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $691 in Butare 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: $621 in Phuket versus $207 in Butare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Butare – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $461 in Butare – a 174% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $461 in Butare versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butare delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $461 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butare hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Butare 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 Butare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 174% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.