Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ongata Rongai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ongata Rongai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $534 in Ongata Rongai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $840 in Ongata Rongai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,147 in Ongata Rongai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 136% more expensive than Ongata Rongai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ongata Rongai 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.31 KES 688

-14.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$18.98 KES 2,461

145.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.00 KES 908

21.00%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.96 KES 254

54.59%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.30 KES 38.63

130.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.41 KES 52.8

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.37 KES 308

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.96 KES 384

23.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.55 KES 70.7

296.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.49 KES 63.9

287.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.28 KES 167

71.88%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.36 KES 177

63.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.18 KES 542

378.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.57 KES 463

2.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$3.54 KES 459

274.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.26 KES 163

156.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.04 KES 135

63.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.18 KES 154

102.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.64 KES 83.4

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.75 KES 97.2

112.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.48 KES 62.5

208.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.64 KES 82.8

60.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.48 KES 62.4

8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.30 KES 298

84.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.31 KES 1,207

101.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.28 KES 296

-22.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.68 KES 347

2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.57 KES 203

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.36 KES 176

-23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.88 KES 373

378.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.59 KES 206

-15.72%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.4K KES 2.8M

29.52%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$19.9K KES 2.6M

69.78%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$34.17 KES 4,430

261.69%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$16.85 KES 2,185

-19.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$39.20 KES 5,082

-52.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.11 KES 792

49.59%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$204 KES 26.4K

244.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,009 KES 1.0M

98.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$18.31 KES 2,374

224.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$23.90 KES 3,099

46.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$64.4 KES 8,350

78.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$57.6 KES 7,463

46.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$156 KES 20.3K

295.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$115 KES 14.9K

277.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$229 KES 29.7K

801.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$235 KES 30.4K

544.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

14.84

-64.08%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ongata Rongai: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $156 in Ongata Rongai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Ongata Rongai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $129 per month, with Ongata Rongai 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 Ongata Rongai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ongata Rongai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 136% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $800 in Ongata Rongai to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $156 in Ongata Rongai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $204 in Ongata Rongai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ongata Rongai – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $534 in Ongata Rongai versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ongata Rongai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ongata Rongai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ongata Rongai is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ongata Rongai 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 Ongata Rongai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.