Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Byumba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Byumba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $369 in Byumba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $612 in Byumba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $855 in Byumba, rent included.

Phuket costs about 238% more than Byumba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Byumba are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Byumba 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.19 RWF 6,125

8.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$27.68 RWF 40.5K

66.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.57 RWF 9,612

34.55%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.25 RWF 3,290

36.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.81 RWF 1,179

-9.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.51 RWF 751

-21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.02 RWF 1,486

138.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.05 RWF 3,004

84.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.70 RWF 1,025

222.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.08 RWF 1,573

67.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.25 RWF 1,823

80.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.71 RWF 2,505

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$4.00 RWF 5,857

387.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.43 RWF 6,471

-17.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$3.64 RWF 5,317

258.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.48 RWF 3,623

30.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.98 RWF 1,438

65.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.42 RWF 2,081

67.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.13 RWF 1,655

79.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.51 RWF 747

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.81 RWF 1,186

85.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.47 RWF 687

108.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.80 RWF 1,164

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.76 RWF 2,581

152.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.02 RWF 14.7K

82.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.89 RWF 1,300

108.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.71 RWF 2,501

56.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.08 RWF 4,502

0.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.41 RWF 2,056

-26.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$3.91 RWF 5,717

260.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.14 RWF 1,663

14.91%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$26.6K RWF 38.9M

4.60%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.3K RWF 44.3M

9.56%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$47.35 RWF 69.2K

158.59%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$9.00 RWF 13.2K

51.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$17.77 RWF 26.0K

5.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.55 RWF 5,185

155.49%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$153 RWF 223.5K

362.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,179 RWF 7.6M

205.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$16.85 RWF 24.6K

247.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$19.38 RWF 28.3K

82.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$24.18 RWF 35.4K

377.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$31.27 RWF 45.7K

167.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$344 RWF 503.7K

81.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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 12, 2026

Last update for Byumba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $344 in Byumba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $28.00 in Byumba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $147 – making Byumba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Byumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 238% more than Byumba, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $554 in Byumba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Byumba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $28.00 in Byumba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 97% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Byumba, where all-in costs run around $369, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Byumba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Byumba costs $369 versus $1,250 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Byumba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.