Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lubumbashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Lubumbashi: $1,234 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Lubumbashi
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Lubumbashi Living Index

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Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,234

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lubumbashi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Lubumbashi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,234 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Lubumbashi $1,234

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,728 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Lubumbashi $2,728

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,222 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Lubumbashi $4,222

Phuket costs about 4% more than Lubumbashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Lubumbashi are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Lubumbashi 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.07 CDF 22.8K

-55.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$98.8 CDF 223.5K

-67.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.17 CDF 23.0K

-13.37%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.11 CDF 9,288

-31.14%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$1.11 CDF 2,513

-21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.05 CDF 4,638

24.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.56 CDF 5,792

43.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$2.01 CDF 4,555

-17.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.26 CDF 2,856

15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.07 CDF 6,935

-51.14%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.18 CDF 4,920

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$15.28 CDF 34.6K

24.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.69 CDF 17.4K

-57.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.45 CDF 34.9K

-29.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$4.98 CDF 11.3K

-41.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.99 CDF 6,753

-43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$5.09 CDF 11.5K

-55.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.98 CDF 6,747

-30.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.47 CDF 5,575

-38.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$2.58 CDF 5,841

-46.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$0.98 CDF 2,226

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$1.23 CDF 2,792

-57.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.97 CDF 8,975

5.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$12.37 CDF 28.0K

51.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.14 CDF 2,576

59.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.06 CDF 4,656

37.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.97 CDF 2,202

49.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.44 CDF 10.1K

-31.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$10.17 CDF 23.0K

-63.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.53 CDF 3,455

-3.92%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$25.4K CDF 57.3M

5.62%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$30.3K CDF 68.5M

-11.83%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$100 CDF 226.5K

-3.81%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$20.12 CDF 45.5K

-44.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$59.6 CDF 134.8K

-71.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$72.7 CDF 164.4K

-7.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$135 CDF 304.7K

253.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$4,520 CDF 10.2M

149.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$22.06 CDF 49.9K

182.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$22.22 CDF 50.2K

27.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$60.6 CDF 137.1K

55.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$85.5 CDF 193.4K

0.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$862 CDF 1.9M

-16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$379 CDF 856.9K

29.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,528 CDF 5.7M

-23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,040 CDF 4.6M

-29.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$999 CDF 2.3M

318.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$509 CDF 1.2M

498.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,050 CDF 2.4M

-52.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lubumbashi: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Lubumbashi

$379 30.7% 22.8% $112

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Lubumbashi

$328 26.6% 23.3% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Lubumbashi

$180 14.6% 44.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lubumbashi

$86 6.9% 29.7% $36

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lubumbashi

$180 * 14.6% 48% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Lubumbashi

$73 * 5.9% 11.6% $9.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Lubumbashi

$8.3 * 0.7% 88.2% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $862 in Lubumbashi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lubumbashi are about 2.1 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $99 in Lubumbashi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $328 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇩 Lubumbashi

🕒 Local time

21:28 9:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,139,064

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.42 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2,262 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.42 USD). 1 EUR = 2,524 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.96 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Lubumbashi 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Lubumbashi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Lubumbashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,234 in Lubumbashi – Lubumbashi comes out roughly 3% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,851 in Lubumbashi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $862 in Lubumbashi.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,234 in Lubumbashi. That makes Lubumbashi about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $135 in Lubumbashi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,234 in Lubumbashi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,234 in Lubumbashi to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.