Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and RudnรกCost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rudnรก
Monthly Cost of Living
๐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,563 in Rudnรก.
๐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,198 in Rudnรก.
๐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,833 in Rudnรก.
๐Living in Phuket costs roughly 19% less than in Rudnรก, driven mainly by Eating Out.
๐The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Rudnรก is 17% above.
Currency
๐ฝ Eating Out
Phuket
Rudnรก
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.70เธฟ154
$8.16Kฤย 170
-42.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.37เธฟ1,483
$36.82Kฤย 768
23.22%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.43เธฟ276
$7.91Kฤย 165
6.57%
Cappuccino
$2.93เธฟ95.7
$2.86Kฤย 59.6
2.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69เธฟ22.42
$1.91Kฤย 39.88
-63.87%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37เธฟ12.00
$1.32Kฤย 27.58
-71.97%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.41เธฟ78.7
$2.39Kฤย 49.83
0.84%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72เธฟ122
$2.78Kฤย 58.0
33.81%
๐ Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Rudnรก
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.23เธฟ73.0
$1.20Kฤย 25.06
85.83%
White Bread(500g)
$1.83เธฟ59.9
$1.32Kฤย 27.59
38.64%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.17เธฟ70.9
$2.48Kฤย 51.6
-12.50%
Eggs
$2.21เธฟ72.4
$3.34Kฤย 69.6
-33.83%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.74เธฟ645
$10.11Kฤย 211
95.25%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.63เธฟ119
$9.75Kฤย 203
-62.77%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.53เธฟ442
$13.35Kฤย 278
1.35%
Apples(1kg)
$3.28เธฟ107
$1.97Kฤย 41.10
66.50%
Banana(1kg)
$1.61เธฟ52.7
$1.79Kฤย 37.35
-10.06%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41เธฟ78.7
$2.28Kฤย 47.64
5.70%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08เธฟ68.1
$3.93Kฤย 82.0
-47.07%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53เธฟ49.97
$1.36Kฤย 28.36
12.50%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48เธฟ48.41
$1.39Kฤย 29.03
6.47%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.99เธฟ32.32
$1.58Kฤย 33.01
-37.34%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51เธฟ16.68
$0.80Kฤย 16.75
-36.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.41เธฟ144
$7.44Kฤย 155
-40.73%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.38เธฟ634
$7.34Kฤย 153
164.03%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78เธฟ58.1
$1.09Kฤย 22.62
63.30%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71เธฟ88.7
$2.24Kฤย 46.70
20.98%
๐ Getting Around
Phuket
Rudnรก
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.37เธฟ44.83
$1.19Kฤย 24.74
15.13%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.39เธฟ372
$26.02Kฤย 542
-56.23%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.02เธฟ98.7
$1.39Kฤย 28.88
117.27%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.99เธฟ32.51
$1.24Kฤย 25.77
-20.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.10เธฟ461
$13.81Kฤย 288
2.10%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.36เธฟ44.55
$1.75Kฤย 36.56
-22.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2Kเธฟ921.9K
$29.7KKฤย 619.2K
-5.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9Kเธฟ1.1M
$31.0KKฤย 646.1K
6.17%
๐งพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Rudnรก
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$122เธฟ3,978
$299Kฤย 6,238
-59.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57เธฟ444
$27.07Kฤย 564
-49.87%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.31เธฟ599
$21.92Kฤย 457
-16.47%
๐ Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Rudnรก
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.2เธฟ1,969
$53.7Kฤย 1,119
12.23%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.14เธฟ560
$16.53Kฤย 345
3.69%
Cinema Ticket
$8.69เธฟ284
$10.94Kฤย 228
-20.57%
๐งธ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Rudnรก
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$693เธฟ22.7K
$405Kฤย 8,440
71.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.7Kเธฟ512.8K
$14.1KKฤย 293.6K
11.39%
๐๐ Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Rudnรก
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5เธฟ1,946
$81.0Kฤย 1,689
-26.53%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.77เธฟ1,137
$25.56Kฤย 533
36.03%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115เธฟ3,746
$74.7Kฤย 1,558
53.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.3เธฟ2,723
$110Kฤย 2,300
-24.52%
๐ Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Rudnรก
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$613เธฟ20.0K
$670Kฤย 14.0K
-8.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$437เธฟ14.3K
$557Kฤย 11.6K
-21.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,094เธฟ68.5K
$1,176Kฤย 24.5K
78.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,509เธฟ49.3K
$867Kฤย 18.1K
74.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,749เธฟ122.6K
$5,285Kฤย 110.2K
-29.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,616เธฟ85.5K
$2,938Kฤย 61.3K
-10.98%
๐ต Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Rudnรก
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$508เธฟ16.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
4.84
10.12%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Last update for Rudnรก: June 1, 2026
Cost Breakdown
๐ A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $670 in Rudnรก. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
๐Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Rudnรก for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $264 per month, with Rudnรก 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 Rudnรก: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rudnรก cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $2,344 in Rudnรก to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Rudnรก?
Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $670 in Rudnรก. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $405 in Rudnรก. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and Rudnรก?
Shoppers in Rudnรก pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Rudnรก?
At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,563 in Rudnรก, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rudnรก. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Rudnรก more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rudnรก, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Rudnรก?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Rudnรก are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet โ expenses run 23% less than in Rudnรก. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.