Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roi Et Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roi Et

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $925 in Roi Et.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,493 in Roi Et.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,060 in Roi Et.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in Roi Et, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Roi Et 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$1.93 ฿64.6

128.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$18.29 ฿611

76.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$7.84 ฿262

13.90%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.10 ฿70.0

38.10%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.78 ฿26.05

12.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.26 ฿8.57

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.10 ฿70.0

11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.10 ฿104

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.66 ฿55.5

12.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.52 ฿50.8

-3.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.25 ฿41.79

24.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.99 ฿66.3

5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$16.22 ฿541

20.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$2.25 ฿75.2

52.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.43 ฿348

9.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$3.20 ฿107

-6.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.11 ฿37.14

51.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.86 ฿62.0

18.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.60 ฿53.4

35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.33 ฿44.31

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.98 ฿32.74

36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.14 ฿38.06

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.53 ฿17.68

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.39 ฿147

-2.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$15.45 ฿516

23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.64 ฿54.6

8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.85 ฿95.1

-2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.88 ฿29.33

153.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.29 ฿43.00

134.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.11 ฿37.07

-8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$3.81 ฿127

2.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.24 ฿41.31

20.16%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$27.2K ฿906.4K

-2.11%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$27.2K ฿907.1K

-0.54%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$82.8 ฿2,762

23.83%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.67 ฿390

-2.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$19.51 ฿651

-10.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$48.32 ฿1,613

7.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$14.02 ฿468

-21.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$6.87 ฿229

11.94%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$569 ฿19.0K

-1.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$11.3K ฿376.6K

1.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$67.9 ฿2,267

-7.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$30.30 ฿1,011

-2.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$61.6 ฿2,057

59.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$76.8 ฿2,563

15.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$460 ฿15.4K

60.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$303 ฿10.1K

58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,435 ฿47.9K

46.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$750 ฿25.0K

63.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,956 ฿65.3K

84.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,580 ฿52.7K

64.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$896 ฿29.9K

-44.91%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Roi Et: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $460 in Roi Et. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roi Et pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $18.00 in Roi Et for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $236 per month, with Roi Et 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 Roi Et: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roi Et is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 82% lower in Roi Et. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $460 in Roi Et. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $569 in Roi Et. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Roi Et – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 in Roi Et versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Roi Et but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Roi Et the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roi Et 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 Roi Et 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 Roi Et gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.