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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $468 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $722 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $975 in Butare.

Living in Phuket is roughly 169% more expensive than Butare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Butare 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$1.78 RWF 2,602

156.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$20.88 RWF 30.5K

123.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.62 RWF 8,209

50.71%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.78 RWF 2,595

70.22%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.58 RWF 852

18.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.37 RWF 536

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.67 RWF 981

271.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.06 RWF 1,547

245.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.36 RWF 531

505.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.98 RWF 1,436

93.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$0.90 RWF 1,312

144.44%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.46 RWF 2,132

52.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$2.21 RWF 3,219

804.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.99 RWF 4,363

22.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$2.73 RWF 3,986

385.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.25 RWF 3,287

43.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.94 RWF 1,372

80.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.18 RWF 1,726

102.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.77 RWF 1,129

170.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.31 RWF 459

412.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.47 RWF 680

214.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.35 RWF 505

194.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.57 RWF 839

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.19 RWF 1,733

257.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.10 RWF 14.7K

86.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.85 RWF 1,247

107.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.41 RWF 2,065

95.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.27 RWF 388

403.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$9.46 RWF 13.8K

20.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.10 RWF 3,062

49.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.93 RWF 1,354

11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.79 RWF 5,531

263.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.78 RWF 1,136

71.79%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$16.8K RWF 24.5M

64.77%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$8,613 RWF 12.6M

293.14%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$36.12 RWF 52.7K

242.17%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$9.01 RWF 13.1K

50.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$17.95 RWF 26.2K

4.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$25.78 RWF 37.6K

139.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$5.64 RWF 8,226

205.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.53 RWF 5,159

158.92%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$94.3 RWF 137.6K

645.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$1,326 RWF 1.9M

1097.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$14.16 RWF 20.7K

319.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$19.73 RWF 28.8K

77.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$24.46 RWF 35.7K

371.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$30.97 RWF 45.2K

171.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$210 RWF 306.9K

194.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$139 RWF 203.1K

210.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$318 RWF 463.9K

548.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$238 RWF 347.2K

535.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Butare: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $210 in Butare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $116 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 169% 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 $1,892 in Phuket and $702 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: $619 in Phuket versus $210 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $468 in Butare – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $468 in Butare versus $1,261 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 $468 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 169% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.