Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gisenyi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gisenyi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $419 in Gisenyi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $656 in Gisenyi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $893 in Gisenyi, rent included.

Phuket costs about 194% more than Gisenyi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Gisenyi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Gisenyi 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.08 RWF 5,969

13.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.84 RWF 21.7K

215.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.90 RWF 8,631

49.83%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.24 RWF 3,278

33.93%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.86 RWF 1,260

-13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.52 RWF 759

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.01 RWF 1,483

141.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.03 RWF 2,970

77.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.66 RWF 971

242.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.07 RWF 1,561

71.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.24 RWF 1,811

80.65%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.64 RWF 2,400

41.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.17 RWF 6,111

371.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.43 RWF 6,480

-17.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$3.67 RWF 5,371

256.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.50 RWF 3,655

35.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.99 RWF 1,455

65.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.43 RWF 2,091

68.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.14 RWF 1,671

78.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.49 RWF 714

218.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.77 RWF 1,123

94.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.31 RWF 460

229.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.79 RWF 1,163

-37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.70 RWF 2,484

161.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$10.13 RWF 14.8K

86.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.90 RWF 1,321

97.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.72 RWF 2,519

59.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.10 RWF 149

1300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.19 RWF 4,675

-2.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.40 RWF 2,044

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.89 RWF 5,689

262.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.14 RWF 1,668

18.42%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$26.8K RWF 39.2M

1.59%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.4K RWF 44.4M

8.43%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$47.21 RWF 69.1K

164.73%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$3.08 RWF 4,511

340.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$18.01 RWF 26.4K

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.51 RWF 5,135

161.82%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$156 RWF 227.8K

348.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,205 RWF 7.6M

199.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$17.33 RWF 25.4K

233.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.53 RWF 28.6K

80.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$24.22 RWF 35.5K

367.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$31.42 RWF 46.0K

174.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$99.1 RWF 145.0K

521.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$50.5 RWF 73.9K

784.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$297 RWF 435.2K

588.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$118 RWF 172.9K

1163.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Gisenyi: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $99.1 in Gisenyi. 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $15.00 in Gisenyi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $146 – making Gisenyi 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 Gisenyi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 194% more than Gisenyi, 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $629 in Gisenyi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gisenyi, 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $15.00 in Gisenyi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% 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 Gisenyi, where all-in costs run around $419, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Gisenyi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gisenyi costs $419 versus $1,232 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 Gisenyi. 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.