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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $772 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,397 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,023 in Ubon Ratchathani.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than in Ubon Ratchathani, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ubon Ratchathani 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$3.15 ฿106

43.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,563

$24.35 ฿821

90.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$6.29 ฿212

37.52%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$1.88 ฿63.2

64.36%

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

$0.68 ฿22.86

$1.07 ฿35.91

-36.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.42

$0.49 ฿16.44

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$2.41 ฿81.1

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.94 ฿99.2

29.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.76 ฿59.4

23.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$1.39 ฿46.75

30.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.32 ฿44.57

65.15%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$2.23 ฿75.3

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿672

$18.55 ฿625

7.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$3.04 ฿103

19.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$11.01 ฿371

23.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$3.15 ฿106

4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.25 ฿42.20

35.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.7

$1.95 ฿65.8

19.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$1.52 ฿51.3

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$1.53 ฿51.5

4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$1.24 ฿41.96

20.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.13

$0.99 ฿33.32

2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.07

$0.52 ฿17.60

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$4.15 ฿140

7.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$13.55 ฿457

37.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.73 ฿58.5

3.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.3

$2.79 ฿94.2

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.84

$0.95 ฿31.98

49.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.07 ฿36.00

188.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.15

$1.20 ฿40.36

-13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$6.07 ฿205

124.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.18

$1.26 ฿42.42

3.97%

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

$27.3K ฿919.6K

$27.5K ฿927.9K

-0.90%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.6K ฿931.6K

20.21%

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

$123 ฿4,152

$77.4 ฿2,609

59.16%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$13.05 ฿440

5.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$15.26 ฿514

21.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,035

$49.08 ฿1,654

22.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$12.41 ฿418

35.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$7.14 ฿241

24.51%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$293 ฿9,873

134.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.2K

$9,857 ฿332.3K

57.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,943

$33.51 ฿1,130

71.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$35.19 ฿1,186

-1.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,874

$99.6 ฿3,358

15.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,862

$71.2 ฿2,400

19.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$244 ฿8,235

152.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$162 ฿5,448

174.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$829 ฿27.9K

146.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$661 ฿22.3K

127.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.3K

$2,133 ฿71.9K

67.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$1,277 ฿43.1K

96.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$360 ฿12.1K

39.52%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Ubon Ratchathani: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $244 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 40% 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 $24.00 in Ubon Ratchathani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $247 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 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% 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: $618 in Phuket versus $244 in Ubon Ratchathani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $293 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $772 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,261 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 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.