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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,245 in Roseau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,117 in Roseau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,989 in Roseau.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Roseau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Roseau 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.23 EC$19.51

-36.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$54.7 EC$148

-40.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$6.46 EC$17.44

37.77%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$4.20 EC$11.33

-33.33%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$2.50 EC$6.75

-64.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$2.28 EC$6.16

-78.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.80 EC$4.86

32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.53 EC$6.82

46.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$3.28 EC$8.87

-45.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$2.06 EC$5.56

-30.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.23 EC$3.33

28.46%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$5.76 EC$15.55

-63.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$2.36 EC$6.37

744.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$11.25 EC$30.38

-69.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$13.35 EC$36.04

-15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$6.27 EC$16.94

-52.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.39 EC$6.46

-28.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$4.58 EC$12.36

-49.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$5.22 EC$14.09

-60.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$3.52 EC$9.49

-58.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$3.01 EC$8.11

-54.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$2.14 EC$5.79

-48.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$2.57 EC$6.94

-77.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$7.55 EC$20.38

-43.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$10.93 EC$29.51

68.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.67 EC$7.20

-29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$3.07 EC$8.30

-4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$1.86 EC$5.03

19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$53.1 EC$143

-56.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$5.41 EC$14.60

-43.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$2.88 EC$7.79

-62.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$10.15 EC$27.41

-61.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.45 EC$3.91

2.76%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$35.0K EC$94.5K

-22.52%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$29.4K EC$79.4K

-6.68%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$141 EC$380

-26.91%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$43.93 EC$119

-74.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$71.1 EC$192

-75.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$45.73 EC$123

17.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$22.64 EC$61.1

-50.53%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$8.34 EC$22.53

-10.31%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$130 EC$351

328.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$4,517 EC$12.2K

162.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$56.1 EC$151

14.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$37.04 EC$100

-21.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$73.8 EC$199

30.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$90.9 EC$246

-0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$280 EC$757

160.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$207 EC$559

141.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$892 EC$2,409

134.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$640 EC$1,727

89.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$122 EC$328

2855.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$57.8 EC$156

4250.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$487 EC$1,316

3.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.6

-26.71%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Roseau: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $280 in Roseau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 3% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Roseau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $372 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 Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Phuket, 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: $730 in Phuket versus $280 in Roseau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $130 in Roseau. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,245 in Roseau versus $1,253 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.