Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rumia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rumia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,474 in Rumia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,154 in Rumia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,834 in Rumia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Rumia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Rumia is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$12.73 zł 48.31

-64.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$41.91 zł 159

10.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.60 zł 25.03

33.94%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.58 zł 13.58

-14.53%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.91 zł 7.26

-61.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.61 zł 6.12

-75.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.23 zł 12.27

-24.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.61 zł 13.70

4.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.07 zł 4.05

111.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.36 zł 5.16

33.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.37 zł 5.21

64.23%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.88 zł 14.74

-42.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.19 zł 34.88

112.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.60 zł 25.05

-44.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.73 zł 40.73

21.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.09 zł 4.13

196.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.78 zł 6.76

-8.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.73 zł 6.57

37.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.89 zł 10.98

-29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.96 zł 3.64

59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.13 zł 4.30

32.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.29 zł 4.90

-24.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.07 zł 4.05

-51.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.03 zł 19.08

-11.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.99 zł 26.51

162.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.09 zł 4.13

70.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.62 zł 6.13

65.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.36 zł 5.15

3.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$34.56 zł 131

-66.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.18 zł 8.27

42.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.72 zł 2.72

44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.74 zł 40.77

31.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.83 zł 6.94

-28.42%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$33.7K zł 128.0K

-17.53%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.3K zł 115.1K

9.46%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$274 zł 1,038

-55.26%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.48 zł 32.18

60.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$16.60 zł 63.0

12.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$36.08 zł 137

67.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$19.83 zł 75.3

-14.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.59 zł 28.78

19.50%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$344 zł 1,304

105.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$8,049 zł 30.5K

96.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$90.0 zł 341

-34.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$43.07 zł 163

-17.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$81.8 zł 310

41.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$93.5 zł 355

-10.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$640 zł 2,429

-2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$497 zł 1,887

-10.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$965 zł 3,662

111.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$811 zł 3,076

84.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,149 zł 11.9K

10.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,325 zł 8,821

10.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,491 zł 5,658

-66.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.75

-21.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Rumia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $640 in Rumia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rumia pays 198% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Rumia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $221 per month, with Rumia 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 Rumia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 198% lower in Rumia. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $640 in Rumia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $344 in Rumia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rumia pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,474 in Rumia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rumia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rumia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Rumia 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Rumia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.