Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Nyamata

For one person, living is cheaper in Nyamata: $569 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Nyamata
🇷🇼 Rwanda
$569
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Nyamata

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 Nyamata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $569 in Nyamata.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Nyamata $569

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $899 in Nyamata.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Nyamata $899

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $1,229 in Nyamata.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Nyamata $1,229

Living in Phuket is roughly 112% more expensive than in Nyamata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Nyamata 58% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Nyamata
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$2.75 RWF 4,048
66.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$11.79 RWF 17.3K
175.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$6.65 RWF 9,779
28.57%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$1.71 RWF 2,510
59.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$0.71 RWF 1,039
32.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$0.38 RWF 560
28.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$1.04 RWF 1,528
149.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$1.71 RWF 2,509
123.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Nyamata
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$0.82 RWF 1,200
112.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$0.78 RWF 1,145
83.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$1.28 RWF 1,878
19.53%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$1.61 RWF 2,367
34.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$3.55 RWF 5,224
439.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$2.67 RWF 3,927
23.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$4.12 RWF 6,055
170.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$2.47 RWF 3,629
19.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$0.40 RWF 587
320.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$0.70 RWF 1,032
228.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$0.56 RWF 820
280.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$0.49 RWF 718
212.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$0.77 RWF 1,128
76.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$0.35 RWF 521
220.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$0.71 RWF 1,044
-22.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$1.33 RWF 1,958
220.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$10.32 RWF 15.2K
76.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$1.03 RWF 1,512
68.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$1.58 RWF 2,326
76.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Nyamata
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
$30.74 RWF 45.2K
-28.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$2.64 RWF 3,886
10.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$2.00 RWF 2,945
-49.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$3.14 RWF 4,616
21.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$1.23 RWF 1,810
21.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$26.4K RWF 38.8M
0.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$23.8K RWF 35.0M
12.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Nyamata
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$85.3 RWF 125.4K
16.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$7.19 RWF 10.6K
56.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$17.12 RWF 25.2K
1.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Nyamata
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
$102 RWF 150.6K
-48.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$1.99 RWF 2,930
280.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Nyamata
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$114 RWF 167.3K
390.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$9,358 RWF 13.8M
22.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Nyamata
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$17.24 RWF 25.3K
264.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$15.65 RWF 23.0K
82.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$22.03 RWF 32.4K
336.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$34.32 RWF 50.5K
156.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Nyamata
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$100.0 RWF 147.0K
629.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$67.9 RWF 99.8K
577.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
$343 RWF 503.9K
511.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
$240 RWF 353.5K
408.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Nyamata
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$180 RWF 264.8K
173.76%
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: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nyamata: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Nyamata
$68 85.2% $392
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Nyamata
$126 52.9% $141
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Nyamata
$110 14.4% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Nyamata
$40 67.6% $84
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Nyamata
$75 37.8% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Nyamata
$106 57.8% $39
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Nyamata
$43 * 11.6% $4.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $100.0 in Nyamata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 174% 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 $12.00 in Nyamata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $126 per month, with Nyamata cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇷🇼 Nyamata
🕒 Local time
11:12 11:12 AM
06:12 6:12 AM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
21,509
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

RWF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1,470 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,653 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Nyamata 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Nyamata

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 Nyamata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Nyamata?
Nyamata wins on cost – living expenses run 112% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nyamata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Nyamata?
Average pay runs 174% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Nyamata?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $100.0 in Nyamata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Phuket compared to Nyamata?
A monthly transit pass in Nyamata runs roughly 39% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and in Nyamata?
Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $114 in Nyamata. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Phuket or in Nyamata?
At $569 in Nyamata versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nyamata but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Nyamata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Nyamata?
Both work as nomad bases, but Nyamata delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $569 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nyamata hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Nyamata?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Nyamata are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Nyamata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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