Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ubon Ratchathani Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ubon Ratchathani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $790 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,425 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $2,060 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than Ubon Ratchathani, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 7% lower, Ubon Ratchathani 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$3.01 ฿96.6

52.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$24.29 ฿779

92.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$6.39 ฿205

36.15%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$1.86 ฿59.5

56.99%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$1.06 ฿34.00

-35.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$0.49 ฿15.82

-18.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$2.53 ฿81.1

-0.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$2.84 ฿91.2

33.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.74 ฿55.9

24.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.33 ฿42.61

41.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$1.31 ฿42.15

64.89%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$2.16 ฿69.2

2.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$18.38 ฿589

6.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$3.09 ฿99.0

22.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$10.60 ฿340

26.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$3.10 ฿99.4

5.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.26 ฿40.55

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.89 ฿60.6

22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$1.59 ฿50.9

29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$1.48 ฿47.30

8.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$1.21 ฿38.65

19.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$1.03 ฿32.96

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.48 ฿15.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$4.19 ฿134

7.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$13.98 ฿448

37.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$1.72 ฿55.1

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$2.67 ฿85.6

0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$0.95 ฿30.51

45.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$1.11 ฿35.49

180.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$1.15 ฿36.74

-13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$6.17 ฿198

122.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.28 ฿41.11

1.56%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$27.7K ฿888.5K

-1.29%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$27.0K ฿865.8K

22.27%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$75.9 ฿2,432

64.62%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$13.05 ฿418

5.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$15.08 ฿483

23.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$49.50 ฿1,587

22.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$12.28 ฿394

39.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$6.91 ฿222

30.39%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$294 ฿9,438

136.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$9,474 ฿303.7K

70.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$33.84 ฿1,085

74.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$34.40 ฿1,103

1.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$97.4 ฿3,122

17.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$70.6 ฿2,264

21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$242 ฿7,750

155.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$166 ฿5,307

163.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$809 ฿25.9K

156.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$652 ฿20.9K

131.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$2,288 ฿73.4K

64.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$1,520 ฿48.7K

77.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$400 ฿12.8K

32.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.45

-2.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Ubon Ratchathani: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $242 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% 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: $47 in Phuket vs $24 in Ubon Ratchathani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $244 per month, with Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubon Ratchathani is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 32% more on average, 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: $619 in Phuket versus $242 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $294 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 $24.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $790 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,247 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 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.