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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $632 in Roi Et.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,068 in Roi Et.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,504 in Roi Et.

Living in Phuket is roughly 100% more expensive than Roi Et, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Roi Et 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.06 ฿67.0

121.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$15.49 ฿505

201.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.20 ฿137

101.67%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.77 ฿57.7

71.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.70 ฿22.78

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.27 ฿8.77

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.53 ฿49.83

62.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.50 ฿81.6

46.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.98 ฿64.4

10.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.13 ฿36.89

68.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.75 ฿89.6

-20.00%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.21 ฿71.9

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$16.61 ฿541

20.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.65 ฿152

-21.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.97 ฿357

20.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$4.27 ฿139

-24.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.54 ฿50.2

10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.00 ฿97.6

-20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.91 ฿62.3

8.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.78 ฿58.1

-10.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.67 ฿54.3

-11.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.74 ฿24.17

39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.58 ฿18.96

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.40 ฿143

-3.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$15.44 ฿503

21.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.12 ฿69.1

-16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.83 ฿92.3

-2.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.88 ฿28.78

54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.10 ฿35.75

185.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.16 ฿37.73

-10.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.23 ฿203

121.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.23 ฿40.06

8.94%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$27.6K ฿898.5K

0.33%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$25.2K ฿820.2K

34.47%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$51.2 ฿1,666

141.58%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$13.45 ฿438

0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$14.49 ฿472

28.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$38.14 ฿1,242

62.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$12.43 ฿405

38.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.01 ฿228

30.39%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$294 ฿9,576

138.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$11.6K ฿376.6K

37.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$38.61 ฿1,257

54.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$34.79 ฿1,133

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$53.3 ฿1,735

116.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$48.61 ฿1,583

72.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$428 ฿13.9K

44.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$79.9 ฿2,601

441.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$242 ฿7,870

753.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$267 ฿8,695

466.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,821 ฿59.3K

100.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,534 ฿50.0K

71.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$904 ฿29.4K

-43.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.45

-2.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Roi Et: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $428 in Roi Et. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roi Et pays 78% 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 $15.00 in Roi Et for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $275 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Roi Et earns 78% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $428 in Roi Et. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $294 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 $15.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $632 in Roi Et versus $1,261 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 100% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.