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: $678 in Rio Dulce versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,077 in Rio Dulce versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,477 in Rio Dulce versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Rio Dulce costs roughly 46% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio Dulce 50% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.38 Q 18.10

$4.56 ฿149

-47.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.61 Q 378

$46.63 ฿1,519

6.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 Q 48.49

$8.47 ฿276

-24.79%

Cappuccino

$3.27 Q 24.90

$3.03 ฿98.6

7.92%

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

$0.62 Q 4.76

$0.69 ฿22.45

-10.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 Q 7.47

$0.37 ฿11.92

164.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 Q 25.29

$2.49 ฿81.0

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 Q 35.11

$3.66 ฿119

25.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 Q 15.55

$2.18 ฿71.0

-6.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 Q 7.77

$1.90 ฿62.0

-46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 Q 9.98

$2.20 ฿71.6

-40.45%

Eggs

$1.92 Q 14.61

$2.22 ฿72.4

-13.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 Q 58.6

$19.99 ฿651

-61.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.30 Q 63.2

$3.66 ฿119

126.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.05 Q 68.9

$13.25 ฿432

-31.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 Q 27.68

$3.23 ฿105

12.38%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 Q 4.81

$1.70 ฿55.3

-62.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 Q 7.17

$2.39 ฿78.0

-60.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 Q 10.08

$2.08 ฿67.7

-36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 Q 8.04

$1.59 ฿51.8

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 Q 8.12

$1.48 ฿48.31

-27.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 Q 5.05

$1.03 ฿33.54

-35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 Q 9.03

$0.52 ฿16.83

128.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 Q 27.97

$4.25 ฿138

-13.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 Q 63.8

$18.79 ฿612

-55.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 Q 12.58

$1.76 ฿57.2

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 Q 18.42

$2.76 ฿89.8

-12.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 Q 5.04

$1.36 ฿44.32

-51.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 Q 40.04

$3.14 ฿102

67.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 Q 4.93

$1.04 ฿33.74

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.79 Q 120

$13.77 ฿448

14.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 Q 8.45

$1.34 ฿43.79

-17.16%

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

$19.7K Q 150.2K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-28.72%

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

$24.8K Q 188.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-26.91%

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

$22.28 Q 170

$124 ฿4,025

-81.97%

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

$26.12 Q 199

$13.52 ฿440

93.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.69 Q 363

$18.69 ฿609

155.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$7.20 Q 54.9

$9.14 ฿298

-21.23%

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

$249 Q 1,897

$703 ฿22.9K

-64.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,897 Q 44.9K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-62.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 Q 385

$59.5 ฿1,937

-14.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 Q 408

$35.07 ฿1,142

52.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 Q 871

$115 ฿3,754

-0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 915

$84.1 ฿2,737

42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$77.0 Q 587

$433 ฿14.1K

-82.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

5.33

66.98%

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

Last update for Rio Dulce: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $50.0 in Rio Dulce vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $220 vs $293, with Rio Dulce cheaper for home cooking.

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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,016 in Rio Dulce and $1,892 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 $249 in Rio Dulce versus $703 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 $50.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Rio Dulce versus $1,261 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 86% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.