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 $1,434 in Rumia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,109 in Rumia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,784 in Rumia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Rumia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Rumia is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$13.13 zł 47.88

-64.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$41.65 zł 152

8.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.72 zł 24.52

25.45%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.52 zł 12.85

-16.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.92 zł 7.02

-64.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.68 zł 6.12

-77.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.18 zł 11.59

-24.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.60 zł 13.12

3.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.08 zł 3.93

106.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.37 zł 4.98

33.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.38 zł 5.01

57.25%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.96 zł 14.45

-44.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.28 zł 33.83

112.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.68 zł 24.36

-45.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.62 zł 38.73

27.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.08 zł 3.94

203.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.71 zł 6.23

-5.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.70 zł 6.21

41.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.85 zł 10.38

-27.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.89 zł 3.26

71.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.08 zł 3.94

37.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.25 zł 4.54

-20.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.06 zł 3.88

-51.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.00 zł 18.25

-11.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.94 zł 25.29

179.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.13 zł 4.11

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.65 zł 6.03

64.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.34 zł 4.89

2.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$34.33 zł 125

-66.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.19 zł 7.97

37.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.74 zł 2.69

33.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$10.70 zł 39.02

31.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.77 zł 6.46

-23.16%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$33.5K zł 122.3K

-15.92%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.0K zł 109.2K

9.83%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$272 zł 993

-55.32%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.52 zł 31.08

59.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$16.64 zł 60.7

10.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$36.66 zł 134

64.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$19.45 zł 70.9

-11.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.60 zł 27.69

14.34%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$344 zł 1,256

101.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$7,987 zł 29.1K

96.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$89.8 zł 328

-33.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$43.44 zł 158

-19.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$82.7 zł 301

38.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$94.1 zł 343

-11.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$637 zł 2,322

-3.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$492 zł 1,795

-11.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$986 zł 3,594

112.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$804 zł 2,930

87.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,504 zł 12.8K

7.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,431 zł 8,866

7.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,549 zł 5,649

-67.20%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Rumia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $637 in Rumia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rumia pays 205% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Rumia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rumia earns 205% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $637 in Rumia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 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 33% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,434 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 13% less than in Rumia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.