Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ratchaburi Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ratchaburi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $823 in Ratchaburi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,356 in Ratchaburi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,889 in Ratchaburi.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than in Ratchaburi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ratchaburi 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.79 ฿127

20.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$31.34 ฿1,055

47.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$6.27 ฿211

40.99%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.11 ฿37.32

175.68%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.32 ฿10.77

128.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.29 ฿9.92

37.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.35 ฿79.0

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.18 ฿73.4

73.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.75 ฿58.9

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.18 ฿39.77

53.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.60 ฿20.34

275.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.29 ฿77.2

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$15.73 ฿529

24.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.39 ฿80.5

52.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.59 ฿222

98.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$3.01 ฿101

7.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.60 ฿20.03

170.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.21 ฿40.88

96.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.42 ฿14.04

383.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.93 ฿31.34

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.89 ฿29.98

68.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.64 ฿21.70

53.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.57 ฿19.05

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.41 ฿115

30.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$16.24 ฿546

12.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.74 ฿58.5

6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.19 ฿73.8

22.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.89 ฿29.82

58.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$31.04 ฿1,045

-62.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.06 ฿35.51

193.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.45 ฿15.17

131.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$3.43 ฿115

311.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.04 ฿34.96

25.96%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$27.8K ฿936.1K

-0.01%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$21.8K ฿733.3K

52.42%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$61.3 ฿2,063

99.71%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$13.60 ฿458

-0.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$10.83 ฿364

72.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$48.38 ฿1,628

25.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$12.09 ฿407

40.45%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$3.99 ฿134

127.32%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$293 ฿9,852

141.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$9,351 ฿314.7K

69.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$29.82 ฿1,003

96.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$19.98 ฿672

76.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$99.4 ฿3,343

16.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$44.67 ฿1,503

87.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$415 ฿14.0K

50.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$288 ฿9,678

54.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$811 ฿27.3K

151.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$665 ฿22.4K

124.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,722 ฿58.0K

102.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,646 ฿55.4K

56.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ratchaburi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $415 in Ratchaburi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Ratchaburi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $205 per month, with Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ratchaburi is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,235 in Ratchaburi 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: $626 in Phuket versus $415 in Ratchaburi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $293 in Ratchaburi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $823 in Ratchaburi versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ratchaburi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ratchaburi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi 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 Ratchaburi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.