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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,534 in Rumia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,182 in Rumia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,831 in Rumia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 18% less than in Rumia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Rumia is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$10.59 zł 39.42

-56.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$31.66 zł 118

1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.07 zł 26.33

22.77%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.85 zł 14.35

-24.68%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.17 zł 8.09

-61.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.72 zł 6.39

-71.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.75 zł 13.95

-33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.95 zł 14.70

-5.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.04 zł 3.86

81.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.31 zł 4.88

7.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.43 zł 5.31

13.29%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.80 zł 14.14

-41.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$9.12 zł 33.97

117.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.60 zł 24.57

-47.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$12.29 zł 45.77

-7.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.12 zł 4.18

158.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.76 zł 6.56

-2.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.67 zł 6.21

35.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.73 zł 10.15

-21.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.92 zł 3.41

59.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.05 zł 3.92

35.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.33 zł 4.95

-17.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.09 zł 4.07

-44.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.50 zł 20.46

-21.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.78 zł 25.26

174.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.17 zł 4.36

53.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.54 zł 5.73

92.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.35 zł 5.02

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$33.30 zł 124

-29.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.19 zł 8.15

41.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.83 zł 3.08

30.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$10.77 zł 40.08

-64.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.73 zł 6.45

-17.34%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$31.9K zł 118.7K

-12.84%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$28.9K zł 107.5K

-6.52%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$293 zł 1,092

-64.25%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$9.24 zł 34.41

23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$17.98 zł 66.9

-2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$40.19 zł 150

35.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$23.10 zł 86.0

-50.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.58 zł 28.23

2.64%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$353 zł 1,316

63.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$8,076 zł 30.1K

43.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$86.3 zł 321

-26.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$42.57 zł 159

-31.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$94.4 zł 351

1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$106 zł 393

-14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$644 zł 2,397

13.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$520 zł 1,935

-3.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,055 zł 3,927

101.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$873 zł 3,251

43.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$3,000 zł 11.2K

17.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$2,331 zł 8,679

12.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,537 zł 5,722

-66.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.79

-17.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rumia: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $644 in Rumia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rumia pays 203% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Rumia. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $224, with Rumia cheaper for home cooking.

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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 203% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $644 in Rumia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $353 in Rumia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rumia pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,534 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 21% less than in Rumia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.