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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $570 in Ongata Rongai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $864 in Ongata Rongai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,158 in Ongata Rongai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 116% more expensive than in Ongata Rongai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Ongata Rongai 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.54 KES 587

-2.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$19.19 KES 2,483

68.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.00 KES 777

48.83%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.88 KES 243

54.26%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$0.32 KES 41.82

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.41 KES 52.7

17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.26 KES 293

3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.67 KES 346

39.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$0.53 KES 68.9

252.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$0.50 KES 64.3

194.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.28 KES 166

21.09%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$1.36 KES 176

54.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$4.12 KES 533

375.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.39 KES 439

0.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$3.52 KES 456

223.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$1.27 KES 165

134.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.03 KES 133

63.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.15 KES 149

92.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$0.64 KES 83.4

237.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$0.73 KES 94.9

108.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$0.44 KES 57.2

204.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$0.69 KES 89.4

63.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$0.44 KES 56.7

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.34 KES 302

82.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.30 KES 1,204

105.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$2.32 KES 300

-23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.76 KES 357

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.58 KES 205

91.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.58 KES 205

-35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$2.86 KES 370

36.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.59 KES 205

-6.29%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

21.19%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$20.3K KES 2.6M

33.05%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$62.1 KES 8,038

64.98%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$15.84 KES 2,050

-28.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$36.52 KES 4,726

-52.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$7.69 KES 995

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$247 KES 32.0K

126.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$11.6K KES 1.5M

-0.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$27.63 KES 3,575

128.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$28.32 KES 3,664

4.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$70.6 KES 9,136

38.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$58.9 KES 7,626

50.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$156 KES 20.2K

371.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$117 KES 15.2K

311.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$231 KES 29.8K

813.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$231 KES 29.9K

430.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

14.71

-62.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Ongata Rongai: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $156 in Ongata Rongai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Ongata Rongai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $128 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 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $855 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: $738 in Phuket versus $156 in Ongata Rongai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $247 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 $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $570 in Ongata Rongai versus $1,232 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 116% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.