Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rishon Leziyyon and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,880 in Rishon Leziyyon, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Rishon Leziyyon
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Rishon Leziyyon Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Rishon Leziyyon

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,880

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rishon Leziyyon and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,880 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Rishon Leziyyon $2,880
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,226 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Rishon Leziyyon $4,226
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,572 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Rishon Leziyyon $5,572
Phuket $3,154

Living in Rishon Leziyyon is roughly 125% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rishon Leziyyon is 112% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.11 ₪90.7

$4.47 ฿151

551.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.8 ₪305

$32.41 ฿1,094

201.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.76 ₪52.2

$8.81 ฿297

90.24%

Cappuccino

$5.21 ₪16.22

$2.83 ฿95.5

84.10%

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

$3.72 ₪11.59

$0.87 ฿29.43

327.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₪10.27

$0.49 ฿16.67

573.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.42 ₪32.45

$2.56 ฿86.4

307.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 ₪29.92

$3.68 ฿124

161.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.52 ₪7.86

$1.66 ฿56.0

51.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ₪5.41

$1.46 ฿49.35

19.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 ₪8.34

$1.50 ฿50.6

78.67%

Eggs

$5.30 ₪16.49

$2.09 ฿70.5

153.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.87 ₪55.7

$19.07 ฿644

-6.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.10 ₪43.93

$3.30 ฿111

327.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 ₪50.9

$10.91 ฿368

49.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 ₪10.88

$2.93 ฿99.0

19.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 ₪9.28

$1.69 ฿57.1

76.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 ₪5.39

$2.25 ฿75.8

-23.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ₪7.93

$2.08 ฿70.1

22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₪5.58

$1.51 ฿51.0

18.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 ₪5.18

$1.38 ฿46.56

20.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 ₪6.17

$1.07 ฿35.99

85.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₪2.98

$0.52 ฿17.52

84.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.14 ₪44.05

$4.20 ฿142

236.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 ₪39.26

$18.79 ฿634

-32.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₪8.31

$1.82 ฿61.5

46.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 ₪7.67

$2.84 ฿95.9

-13.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 ₪8.11

$1.45 ฿49.03

79.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 ₪314

$56.7 ฿1,913

78.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 ₪11.98

$3.02 ฿102

27.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 ₪4.66

$1.02 ฿34.36

47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.37 ₪97.7

$3.69 ฿125

750.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.56 ₪7.97

$1.47 ฿49.81

74.15%

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

$54.7K ₪170.3K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

104.24%

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

$55.3K ₪172.2K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

107.12%

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

$288 ₪896

$96.4 ฿3,254

198.57%

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

$11.49 ₪35.80

$11.26 ฿380

2.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.58 ₪142

$16.85 ฿569

170.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ₪164

$67.2 ฿2,270

-21.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.52 ₪60.8

$10.73 ฿362

81.92%

Cinema Ticket

$16.06 ₪50.0

$7.50 ฿253

114.13%

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

$1,164 ₪3,625

$476 ฿16.1K

144.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ₪74.7K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

112.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.75 ₪152

$62.4 ฿2,106

-21.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.77 ₪124

$28.41 ฿959

39.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 ₪426

$94.3 ฿3,184

45.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 ₪466

$85.8 ฿2,898

74.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,679 ₪5,230

$716 ฿24.2K

134.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 ₪4,174

$491 ฿16.6K

172.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,634 ₪8,205

$1,927 ฿65.1K

36.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 ₪6,676

$1,431 ฿48.3K

49.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K ₪31.3K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

140.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,278 ₪22.7K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

139.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,042 ₪9,476

$502 ฿17.0K

505.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

5.57

-8.98%

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

Last update for Rishon Leziyyon: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rishon Leziyyon

$1.3K 46.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 63.4% $849

Eating Out

Rishon Leziyyon

$445 15.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 72.7% $323

Groceries & Markets

Rishon Leziyyon

$374 13%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 28.9% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rishon Leziyyon

$345 12%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 63.9% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Rishon Leziyyon

$169 5.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 27.7% $47

Getting Around

Rishon Leziyyon

$123 4.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 42.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Rishon Leziyyon

$85 2.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 3% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,679 in Rishon Leziyyon and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rishon Leziyyon pays about 6.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $98 in Rishon Leziyyon vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Rishon Leziyyon

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:21 10:21 PM

03:21 3:21 AM

5 h ahead of Rishon Leziyyon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

247,323

79,308

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.288 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.47 ILS (1 ILS = 0.288 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rishon Leziyyon Phuket 7,060 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rishon Leziyyon
Phuket

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

Rishon Leziyyon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Rishon Leziyyon is about 6.1 times higher, 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: $1,679 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,164 in Rishon Leziyyon versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Rishon Leziyyon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,880 in Rishon Leziyyon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rishon Leziyyon. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rishon Leziyyon and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Rishon Leziyyon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.