Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kigali Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kigali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $788 in Kigali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,231 in Kigali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,673 in Kigali.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than in Kigali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kigali 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.06 RWF 5,940

12.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$27.39 RWF 40.1K

68.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.63 RWF 9,698

33.33%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.15 RWF 3,137

42.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.81 RWF 1,184

-9.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.56 RWF 825

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.03 RWF 1,501

135.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.06 RWF 3,010

83.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.66 RWF 959

242.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.07 RWF 1,566

69.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.27 RWF 1,859

77.17%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.66 RWF 2,425

35.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$4.21 RWF 6,150

363.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.48 RWF 6,547

-18.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$3.66 RWF 5,359

256.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.41 RWF 3,525

34.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.00 RWF 1,462

62.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.49 RWF 2,177

59.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.10 RWF 1,606

84.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.52 RWF 762

194.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.81 RWF 1,188

85.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.47 RWF 693

108.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.80 RWF 1,166

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.78 RWF 2,598

149.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$10.03 RWF 14.7K

82.65%

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

$1.77 RWF 2,595

51.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.34 RWF 493

314.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$27.87 RWF 40.7K

-58.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.16 RWF 4,622

-1.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.39 RWF 2,036

-25.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$3.86 RWF 5,647

265.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.18 RWF 1,732

11.02%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$26.7K RWF 39.1M

4.08%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$29.8K RWF 43.6M

11.31%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$45.93 RWF 67.2K

166.58%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.60 RWF 12.6K

58.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$17.77 RWF 26.0K

5.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$28.54 RWF 41.7K

111.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$3.88 RWF 5,680

337.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.38 RWF 4,940

168.34%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$156 RWF 228.3K

352.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$5,189 RWF 7.6M

204.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$17.23 RWF 25.2K

239.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$19.22 RWF 28.1K

83.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$24.61 RWF 36.0K

369.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$31.38 RWF 45.9K

166.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$573 RWF 837.5K

9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$352 RWF 515.3K

26.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,095 RWF 1.6M

86.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$691 RWF 1.0M

116.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,380 RWF 4.9M

3.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,974 RWF 4.3M

-13.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$300 RWF 438.9K

66.56%

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 Kigali: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $573 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 67% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $147 per month, with Kigali 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 Kigali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kigali wins on cost – living expenses run 59% 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.

Average pay runs 67% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $573 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% 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 $27.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $788 in Kigali versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kigali but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kigali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kigali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $788 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kigali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kigali 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 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.