Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roseau Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roseau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,199 in Roseau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,043 in Roseau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,887 in Roseau.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than Roseau, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Roseau 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.35 EC$19.84

-36.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$54.7 EC$148

-17.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.64 EC$17.94

26.96%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$4.06 EC$10.96

-27.83%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.46 EC$6.64

-71.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$2.24 EC$6.05

-83.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.81 EC$4.89

33.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.57 EC$6.95

44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$3.02 EC$8.17

-26.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.73 EC$4.67

5.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.89 EC$2.40

143.82%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$5.42 EC$14.64

-59.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$2.24 EC$6.04

781.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$10.27 EC$27.73

-64.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.20 EC$32.94

10.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$6.35 EC$17.13

-48.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.20 EC$5.95

-26.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$4.81 EC$12.98

-49.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$5.26 EC$14.21

-60.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$3.28 EC$8.85

-53.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$3.10 EC$8.38

-52.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$2.14 EC$5.79

-53.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$2.82 EC$7.61

-81.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$11.21 EC$30.26

72.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.78 EC$7.50

-35.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.95 EC$7.96

-8.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$32.06 EC$86.6

-64.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.64 EC$9.83

-17.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$3.74 EC$10.10

-73.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.43 EC$28.16

35.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.35 EC$3.64

0.74%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$33.5K EC$90.6K

-15.93%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.8K EC$80.4K

10.45%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$140 EC$377

-12.81%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$41.84 EC$113

-67.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$56.9 EC$154

-67.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$46.52 EC$126

29.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$23.13 EC$62.5

-25.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$8.41 EC$22.71

3.33%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$109 EC$294

536.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$3,278 EC$8,850

378.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$78.7 EC$212

-24.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$46.74 EC$126

-25.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$97.4 EC$263

17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$90.8 EC$245

-8.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$281 EC$759

118.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$200 EC$539

118.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$901 EC$2,432

132.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$622 EC$1,679

142.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$123 EC$331

2955.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$57.3 EC$155

4467.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$485 EC$1,311

4.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.6

-29.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Roseau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $281 in Roseau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Roseau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $359 per month, with Phuket 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 Roseau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roseau is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 5% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $281 in Roseau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $109 in Roseau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,199 in Roseau versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Roseau but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Roseau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roseau 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 Roseau 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 Roseau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.