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 $528 in Ongata Rongai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $837 in Ongata Rongai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,145 in Ongata Rongai.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Ongata Rongai 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.47 KES 706

-15.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$19.55 KES 2,524

139.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.92 KES 893

27.75%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.96 KES 253

53.06%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.30 KES 38.47

146.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.38 KES 48.75

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.36 KES 304

3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.95 KES 380

22.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.50 KES 64.1

352.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.47 KES 60.1

291.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.29 KES 166

73.64%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.32 KES 170

75.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.38 KES 566

349.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.38 KES 436

7.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$3.53 KES 455

271.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.23 KES 159

175.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.04 KES 135

57.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.17 KES 151

105.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.64 KES 82.2

217.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.79 KES 102

97.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.48 KES 62.0

212.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.69 KES 89.0

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.48 KES 61.5

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.31 KES 298

92.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.32 KES 1,203

102.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.22 KES 287

-19.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.71 KES 349

1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.58 KES 203

97.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.35 KES 174

-25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$2.96 KES 381

376.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.58 KES 204

-14.56%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.3K KES 2.7M

27.75%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$20.3K KES 2.6M

61.93%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$34.74 KES 4,484

259.76%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.61 KES 2,144

-18.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$39.23 KES 5,063

-52.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.11 KES 788

50.41%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$203 KES 26.2K

243.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$8,013 KES 1.0M

94.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$18.27 KES 2,358

216.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$24.24 KES 3,128

45.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$65.5 KES 8,456

72.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$56.4 KES 7,275

53.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$154 KES 19.9K

299.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$116 KES 15.0K

284.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$235 KES 30.3K

773.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$235 KES 30.4K

533.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ongata Rongai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $154 in Ongata Rongai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Ongata Rongai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 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 133% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $792 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: $616 in Phuket versus $154 in Ongata Rongai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $203 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 $20.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $528 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 133% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.