Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rayong Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rayong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $840 in Rayong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,399 in Rayong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,959 in Rayong.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than Rayong, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Rayong 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.17 ฿104

46.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$18.83 ฿616

148.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.32 ฿207

39.87%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.53 ฿82.9

18.58%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.53 ฿17.46

39.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.27 ฿8.73

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.82 ฿59.7

34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$3.07 ฿100

17.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.84 ฿60.2

22.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.30 ฿42.58

41.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.20 ฿39.19

86.67%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.27 ฿74.2

2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$18.36 ฿600

7.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.15 ฿70.3

69.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.42 ฿308

39.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.42 ฿79.3

40.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.21 ฿39.57

35.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.09 ฿68.4

15.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.11 ฿36.22

82.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.25 ฿40.75

24.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.26 ฿41.23

19.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.81 ฿26.41

25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.38 ฿12.49

28.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$16.92 ฿553

11.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.78 ฿58.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.35 ฿110

-17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.93 ฿30.57

50.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.06 ฿34.53

194.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.18 ฿38.73

-15.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.23 ฿204

126.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.26 ฿41.07

7.14%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$36.5K ฿1.2M

-25.48%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.2K ฿953.4K

12.91%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$58.1 ฿1,900

115.07%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.82 ฿419

5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$17.46 ฿571

6.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$69.6 ฿2,276

-11.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$18.73 ฿612

-10.09%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.51 ฿246

22.37%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$597 ฿19.5K

16.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$9,254 ฿302.6K

68.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$48.39 ฿1,582

19.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$38.86 ฿1,271

-9.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$75.5 ฿2,468

49.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$59.4 ฿1,942

45.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$418 ฿13.7K

47.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$230 ฿7,518

93.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$800 ฿26.2K

155.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$654 ฿21.4K

128.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,968 ฿64.3K

34.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$778 ฿25.5K

-32.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.5

-3.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rayong: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $418 in Rayong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rayong pays 49% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $19.00 in Rayong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $236 per month, with Rayong 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 Rayong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rayong is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rayong earns 49% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $418 in Rayong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $597 in Rayong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rayong – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $840 in Rayong versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rayong but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rayong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rayong 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 Rayong 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 Rayong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.