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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $543 in Ongata Rongai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $846 in Ongata Rongai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,149 in Ongata Rongai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 133% more expensive than in Ongata Rongai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Ongata Rongai 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.37 KES 695

-16.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$19.50 KES 2,520

133.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.96 KES 900

25.86%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.95 KES 251

52.31%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$0.30 KES 38.22

130.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.41 KES 52.7

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.29 KES 296

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.98 KES 386

25.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.53 KES 68.8

305.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.49 KES 63.4

271.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.34 KES 173

62.69%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$1.39 KES 179

61.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$4.18 KES 541

378.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.51 KES 454

3.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$3.47 KES 448

290.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.21 KES 156

167.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.09 KES 141

50.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.14 KES 148

104.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.64 KES 82.4

223.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.75 KES 96.3

106.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.47 KES 60.9

210.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.68 KES 88.2

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.48 KES 61.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.29 KES 296

89.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$9.50 KES 1,229

95.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.29 KES 296

-18.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.78 KES 359

-4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.57 KES 203

101.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.35 KES 175

-23.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$2.84 KES 368

389.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.53 KES 197

-12.42%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$21.6K KES 2.8M

28.63%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$20.4K KES 2.6M

63.43%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$34.68 KES 4,482

254.82%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$16.82 KES 2,174

-18.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$39.13 KES 5,057

-53.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.10 KES 788

45.41%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$201 KES 25.9K

243.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$7,993 KES 1.0M

97.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$18.51 KES 2,392

220.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$23.77 KES 3,073

45.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$66.7 KES 8,614

72.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$57.4 KES 7,416

45.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$152 KES 19.7K

308.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$115 KES 14.9K

286.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$228 KES 29.4K

793.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$235 KES 30.3K

537.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ongata Rongai: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $152 in Ongata Rongai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Ongata Rongai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $130 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 133% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $815 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: $621 in Phuket versus $152 in Ongata Rongai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $201 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $543 in Ongata Rongai versus $1,264 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 133% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.