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 $870 in Kigali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,361 in Kigali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,852 in Kigali.

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than in Kigali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kigali 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.76 RWF 4,049

68.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$30.30 RWF 44.4K

6.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.73 RWF 9,869

28.97%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.48 RWF 3,632

16.94%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.75 RWF 1,096

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.52 RWF 769

-5.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$0.99 RWF 1,456

150.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.43 RWF 3,560

53.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.80 RWF 1,170

136.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.03 RWF 1,510

36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.31 RWF 1,916

23.66%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.66 RWF 2,433

34.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$4.17 RWF 6,116

375.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.38 RWF 6,419

-20.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$4.48 RWF 6,565

153.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.36 RWF 3,460

22.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.90 RWF 1,322

91.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.54 RWF 2,262

47.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.03 RWF 1,513

106.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.52 RWF 756

182.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.79 RWF 1,154

79.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.70 RWF 1,029

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.79 RWF 1,152

-24.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.05 RWF 3,002

110.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$10.05 RWF 14.7K

85.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.93 RWF 1,369

93.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.56 RWF 2,294

90.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.35 RWF 518

542.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$25.87 RWF 37.9K

-9.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.79 RWF 4,089

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.06 RWF 3,029

-47.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$3.33 RWF 4,891

16.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.72 RWF 2,523

-16.86%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$25.7K RWF 37.7M

8.22%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$30.1K RWF 44.1M

-10.22%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$84.1 RWF 123.3K

24.69%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$7.20 RWF 10.6K

58.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$20.98 RWF 30.8K

-16.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$26.94 RWF 39.5K

101.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$4.35 RWF 6,385

162.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.44 RWF 5,041

126.16%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$113 RWF 165.2K

411.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$9,432 RWF 13.8M

22.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$17.09 RWF 25.1K

272.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$15.57 RWF 22.8K

86.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$21.86 RWF 32.1K

340.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$33.79 RWF 49.6K

166.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$664 RWF 974.2K

10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$427 RWF 627.1K

17.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,418 RWF 2.1M

49.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$868 RWF 1.3M

44.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$3,400 RWF 5.0M

3.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$3,057 RWF 4.5M

-14.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$280 RWF 410.1K

81.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

16.2

-65.62%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kigali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $664 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 82% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $150 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 45% 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 82% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $664 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% 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 $30.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $870 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 $870 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 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.