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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $781 in Kigali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Kigali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,658 in Kigali.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than Kigali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kigali 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.25 RWF 6,202

10.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,488

$28.20 RWF 41.1K

60.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.43 RWF 9,386

31.10%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.0

$2.15 RWF 3,142

36.28%

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

$0.69 ฿22.48

$0.83 RWF 1,207

-16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.52 RWF 756

-28.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.02 RWF 1,482

136.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.11 RWF 3,082

76.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.2

$0.70 RWF 1,026

218.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.07 RWF 1,560

71.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.24 RWF 1,816

75.00%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.69 RWF 2,468

30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿647

$4.21 RWF 6,144

368.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.32 RWF 6,303

-15.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$3.69 RWF 5,385

266.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.39 RWF 3,483

37.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.8

$1.02 RWF 1,482

57.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.43 RWF 2,084

68.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.3

$1.10 RWF 1,606

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.1

$0.48 RWF 707

218.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.56

$0.78 RWF 1,134

89.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.42

$0.51 RWF 744

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.73

$0.75 RWF 1,090

-32.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.76 RWF 2,565

150.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$10.36 RWF 15.1K

87.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.3

$0.95 RWF 1,389

87.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.9

$1.78 RWF 2,598

52.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.96

$0.37 RWF 533

270.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$27.51 RWF 40.1K

-58.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.0

$3.06 RWF 4,460

-1.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.61

$1.40 RWF 2,039

-29.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿462

$3.92 RWF 5,718

259.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.18 RWF 1,728

15.25%

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

$28.2K ฿924.7K

$26.6K RWF 38.8M

6.01%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.1K RWF 43.9M

9.32%

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

$122 ฿3,991

$46.68 RWF 68.1K

160.71%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$8.59 RWF 12.5K

57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿600

$17.98 RWF 26.2K

1.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,975

$28.78 RWF 42.0K

109.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$3.73 RWF 5,436

359.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$3.43 RWF 5,009

153.35%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$152 RWF 222.1K

355.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.4K

$5,049 RWF 7.4M

210.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,952

$17.23 RWF 25.1K

245.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,140

$19.73 RWF 28.8K

76.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,758

$23.90 RWF 34.9K

379.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,731

$31.15 RWF 45.4K

167.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$568 RWF 829.1K

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$357 RWF 521.1K

22.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$1,077 RWF 1.6M

94.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$696 RWF 1.0M

116.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.9K

$3,400 RWF 5.0M

10.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$3,028 RWF 4.4M

-13.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$303 RWF 442.5K

67.57%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Kigali: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $568 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 68% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 62% 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.

Phuket pays 68% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $568 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% 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 $28.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Kigali versus $1,265 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 $781 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.