Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Dulce and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Dulce and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $744 in Rio Dulce versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,240 in Rio Dulce versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,736 in Rio Dulce versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Rio Dulce costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio Dulce 46% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.91 Q 52.7

$4.41 ฿147

56.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.15 Q 375

$32.26 ฿1,073

52.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 Q 60.3

$8.93 ฿297

-11.53%

Cappuccino

$3.41 Q 26.01

$2.90 ฿96.3

17.59%

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

$1.14 Q 8.72

$0.88 ฿29.27

29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Q 6.36

$0.48 ฿16.00

72.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 Q 25.38

$2.35 ฿78.2

41.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 Q 37.25

$3.72 ฿124

31.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 Q 15.24

$1.87 ฿62.0

6.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 Q 22.62

$1.47 ฿48.75

101.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 Q 16.04

$1.55 ฿51.6

35.48%

Eggs

$2.52 Q 19.26

$2.10 ฿69.9

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.51 Q 49.66

$19.59 ฿651

-66.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 Q 72.0

$3.42 ฿114

176.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.44 Q 103

$11.38 ฿378

18.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.40

$2.98 ฿99.2

33.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 Q 12.94

$1.68 ฿56.0

1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 Q 22.27

$2.21 ฿73.5

32.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 Q 12.28

$2.16 ฿71.9

-25.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 Q 11.45

$1.52 ฿50.7

-1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 Q 15.91

$1.34 ฿44.49

55.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 Q 5.34

$1.13 ฿37.53

-38.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 Q 8.77

$0.55 ฿18.17

109.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.11 Q 31.36

$4.26 ฿142

-3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 Q 61.0

$19.09 ฿635

-58.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 Q 13.19

$1.78 ฿59.2

-2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 Q 20.59

$2.78 ฿92.5

-2.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.28 Q 40.27

$3.03 ฿101

74.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.34 Q 78.9

$3.89 ฿129

165.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 Q 9.37

$1.49 ฿49.57

-17.45%

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

$27.6K Q 210.9K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

4.00%

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

$25.2K Q 192.4K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-6.71%

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

$76.0 Q 580

$102 ฿3,407

-25.81%

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

$29.42 Q 224

$11.33 ฿377

159.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.09 Q 344

$17.40 ฿578

159.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 Q 49.52

$7.69 ฿256

-15.60%

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

$334 Q 2,548

$561 ฿18.6K

-40.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,819 Q 52.0K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-40.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.69 Q 364

$63.0 ฿2,096

-24.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.66 Q 356

$29.52 ฿982

58.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Q 827

$98.0 ฿3,259

10.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 Q 877

$88.5 ฿2,943

29.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

5.57

108.62%

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

Last update for Rio Dulce: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $49.00 in Rio Dulce vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $274 per month, with Phuket 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

Rio Dulce vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio Dulce is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,116 in Rio Dulce and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $334 in Rio Dulce versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio Dulce – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $744 in Rio Dulce versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rio Dulce but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rio Dulce the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio Dulce 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, Rio Dulce and Phuket 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 Rio Dulce gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.