Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ranong

For one person, living is cheaper in Ranong: $976 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Ranong
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Ranong Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Ranong

🇹🇭 Thailand

$976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ranong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $976 in Ranong.

Phuket $1,208
Ranong $976

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,650 in Ranong.

Phuket $2,027
Ranong $1,650

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,324 in Ranong.

Phuket $2,845
Ranong $2,324

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than in Ranong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Ranong 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$4.36 ฿146

0.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$32.07 ฿1,072

0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.46 ฿283

3.55%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.74 ฿91.5

3.28%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.96 ฿31.98

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.50 ฿16.59

-6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.55 ฿85.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.76 ฿126

1.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.66 ฿55.5

4.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.47 ฿48.98

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.52 ฿50.6

-0.66%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.20 ฿73.4

-1.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$19.67 ฿657

0.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.30 ฿110

1.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$11.09 ฿371

0.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.94 ฿98.3

-3.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.64 ฿54.9

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.26 ฿75.7

-3.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.07 ฿69.2

-0.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.50 ฿50.2

-3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.31 ฿43.78

5.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.06 ฿35.35

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.51 ฿17.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.46 ฿149

-4.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$18.42 ฿616

0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.81 ฿60.6

-1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.75 ฿92.1

3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.79 ฿26.38

186.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.21 ฿40.34

148.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.07 ฿35.76

-0.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$3.81 ฿127

1.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.48 ฿49.36

-2.03%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$26.4K ฿883.5K

-0.41%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$26.4K ฿881.7K

2.13%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$99.5 ฿3,324

-3.10%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$11.07 ฿370

-0.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$17.26 ฿577

-0.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$43.35 ฿1,449

20.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$12.40 ฿414

-10.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$7.65 ฿256

2.09%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$548 ฿18.3K

1.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$11.4K ฿382.5K

1.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$64.3 ฿2,147

-0.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$28.31 ฿946

1.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$95.8 ฿3,203

-0.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$89.6 ฿2,993

-1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$467 ฿15.6K

57.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$268 ฿8,954

72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,081 ฿36.1K

93.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$762 ฿25.5K

57.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,902 ฿63.6K

83.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,616 ฿54.0K

56.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ranong: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Ranong

$268 27.4% 42.1% $194

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Ranong

$268 27.4% 0.3% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Ranong

$128 13.1% 2.6% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ranong

$125 12.8% 0.6% $0.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Ranong

$119 12.2% 1.7% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Ranong

$59 6% 13.5% $9.2

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Ranong

$9.7 * 1% 75.4% $30

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 $737 in Phuket and $467 in Ranong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Ranong. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $268, with Ranong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Ranong

🕒 Local time

21:58 9:58 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

16,163

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Phuket Ranong 230 km

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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 Ranong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ranong is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,813 in Phuket and $1,464 in Ranong 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: $737 in Phuket versus $467 in Ranong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $548 in Ranong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ranong – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Ranong versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ranong but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ranong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ranong 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 Ranong 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 Ranong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.