Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ubon Ratchathani

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani: $781 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Ubon Ratchathani
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Ubon Ratchathani Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Ubon Ratchathani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ubon Ratchathani

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Ubon Ratchathani actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $781 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Phuket $1,208
Ubon Ratchathani $781

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,444 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Phuket $2,027
Ubon Ratchathani $1,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,106 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Phuket $2,845
Ubon Ratchathani $2,106

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than in Ubon Ratchathani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Ubon Ratchathani 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$4.66 ฿156

-5.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$20.60 ฿689

56.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.41 ฿248

18.22%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.81 ฿60.3

56.35%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.30 ฿43.60

-30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.54 ฿17.99

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.40 ฿80.2

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.62 ฿121

5.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.81 ฿60.6

-4.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.46 ฿48.84

0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.38 ฿46.15

9.42%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.05 ฿68.6

5.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$17.08 ฿571

15.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$2.35 ฿78.6

42.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$11.02 ฿368

1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.99 ฿99.9

-4.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.01 ฿33.59

68.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.13 ฿71.2

2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.06 ฿68.9

-0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.42 ฿47.54

2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.06 ฿35.58

30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.12 ฿37.44

-4.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.49 ฿16.51

4.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.25 ฿142

0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$13.55 ฿453

37.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.66 ฿55.4

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.85 ฿95.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.85 ฿28.51

165.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.21 ฿40.40

148.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.04 ฿34.82

1.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$6.56 ฿219

-41.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.22 ฿40.86

18.85%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$28.1K ฿939.2K

-6.31%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$31.4K ฿1.1M

-14.27%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$81.4 ฿2,719

18.48%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$12.16 ฿407

-9.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$14.40 ฿481

19.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$47.95 ฿1,603

8.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$13.14 ฿439

-15.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.70 ฿224

16.57%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$497 ฿16.6K

11.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$12.4K ฿413.4K

-6.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$56.4 ฿1,885

13.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$28.54 ฿954

0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$85.2 ฿2,847

11.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$75.8 ฿2,534

16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$235 ฿7,843

214.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$143 ฿4,785

222.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,049 ฿35.1K

99.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$724 ฿24.2K

65.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

66.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,243 ฿41.5K

102.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$353 ฿11.8K

41.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubon Ratchathani: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Ubon Ratchathani

$143 18.3% 69% $319

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Ubon Ratchathani

$240 30.8% 10.6% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8% 13.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ubon Ratchathani

$111 14.2% 11% $14

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8% 11.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Ubon Ratchathani

$61 7.9% 9.5% $6.4

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Ubon Ratchathani

$9.8 * 1.3% 75.1% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $235 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 42% 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 $21.00 in Ubon Ratchathani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $240 per month, with Ubon Ratchathani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇹🇭 Ubon Ratchathani

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

Same time as Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

74,977

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Ubon Ratchathani 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ubon Ratchathani

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Ubon Ratchathani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubon Ratchathani is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 42% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $235 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $497 in Ubon Ratchathani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ubon Ratchathani but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ubon Ratchathani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.