Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rui'an Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rui'an

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $727 in Rui'an.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,126 in Rui'an.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,525 in Rui'an.

Living in Phuket is roughly 74% more expensive than Rui'an, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Rui'an 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$2.82 ¥19.13

66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$21.52 ¥146

110.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.88 ¥33.09

72.75%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.97 ¥20.10

-1.35%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.44 ¥2.98

56.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.27 ¥1.81

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.95 ¥6.42

153.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.15 ¥14.57

73.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.81 ¥12.27

23.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.57 ¥10.61

16.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.90 ¥6.07

141.11%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.58 ¥10.71

39.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.09 ¥88.7

50.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.28 ¥22.21

10.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.24 ¥69.4

32.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.89 ¥12.81

73.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.25 ¥8.49

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.55 ¥10.47

55.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.10 ¥7.45

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.75 ¥5.09

104.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.89 ¥5.99

66.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.60 ¥4.10

65.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.55 ¥3.70

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.11 ¥21.09

41.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$10.40 ¥70.5

86.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.79 ¥5.34

125.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.60 ¥10.81

69.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.27 ¥1.82

407.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$17.00 ¥115

-33.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.35 ¥9.17

123.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.33 ¥2.22

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.55 ¥44.37

115.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.16 ¥7.87

17.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$19.0K ¥128.9K

48.14%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$17.2K ¥116.2K

91.72%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$45.40 ¥307

168.06%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$9.85 ¥66.7

37.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$11.90 ¥80.6

53.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$41.09 ¥278

46.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.86 ¥93.9

23.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.93 ¥40.18

46.54%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$339 ¥2,297

104.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$17.1K ¥115.6K

-8.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$43.55 ¥295

36.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$30.92 ¥209

12.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$72.2 ¥489

58.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$72.1 ¥489

15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$274 ¥1,858

123.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$190 ¥1,284

130.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$592 ¥4,010

253.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$357 ¥2,420

322.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,084 ¥20.9K

21.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,017 ¥13.7K

29.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.89

37.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Rui'an: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $274 in Rui'an. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Rui'an for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 per month, with Rui'an 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 Rui'an: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rui'an is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,091 in Rui'an 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $274 in Rui'an. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $339 in Rui'an. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $727 in Rui'an versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rui'an but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rui'an the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rui'an 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 Rui'an 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 Rui'an gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.