Cost of Living Comparison Between Roubaix and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Roubaix and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,705 in Roubaix versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,685 in Roubaix versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,664 in Roubaix versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Roubaix is roughly 36% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roubaix is 24% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 €16.19

$4.56 ฿150

312.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 €65.2

$32.62 ฿1,072

132.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.19

$8.90 ฿293

59.10%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.32

$2.80 ฿92.2

37.86%

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

$3.35 €2.89

$0.88 ฿28.93

280.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$0.49 ฿16.08

263.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 €6.82

$2.39 ฿78.5

231.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.14

$3.71 ฿122

61.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.79 ฿58.7

-36.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.44 ฿47.38

13.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.58 ฿52.1

87.97%

Eggs

$2.14 €1.85

$2.13 ฿69.9

0.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 €11.53

$19.92 ฿655

-32.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 €7.81

$3.43 ฿113

164.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 €12.05

$11.33 ฿372

23.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 €0.89

$2.95 ฿96.9

-64.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.72 ฿56.6

-31.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.32 ฿76.4

-3.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.08 ฿68.4

42.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 €0.64

$1.47 ฿48.33

-49.66%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.36 ฿44.64

-30.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.10 ฿36.12

53.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 €0.19

$0.57 ฿18.89

-61.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.38 €10.65

$4.27 ฿140

189.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 €7.54

$18.42 ฿605

-52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.87 ฿61.5

34.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 €3.84

$2.92 ฿96.0

52.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.22 ฿72.9

-9.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.91 €38.64

$22.90 ฿753

96.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 €2.02

$3.03 ฿99.6

-22.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.07 ฿35.31

101.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.82 €21.35

$3.93 ฿129

531.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.49 ฿49.04

44.30%

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

$29.2K €25.1K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

7.64%

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

$29.5K €25.4K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

7.45%

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

$181 €156

$103 ฿3,379

75.81%

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

$16.11 €13.86

$10.99 ฿361

46.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 €27.30

$17.51 ฿576

81.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.87 €32.59

$53.5 ฿1,760

-29.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 €9.88

$7.48 ฿246

53.48%

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

$648 €557

$557 ฿18.3K

16.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,710 €7,495

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-26.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 €76.4

$64.1 ฿2,106

38.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.69 €36.74

$29.07 ฿956

46.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €91.8

$96.0 ฿3,154

11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.0

$90.3 ฿2,970

19.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 €602

$730 ฿24.0K

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 €540

$500 ฿16.4K

25.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 €1,255

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-30.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 €1,002

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-3.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,127 €3,551

$3,596 ฿118.2K

14.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,120 €2,684

$2,512 ฿82.6K

24.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,835 €1,579

$503 ฿16.5K

264.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.92

5.57

-29.62%

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

Last update for Roubaix: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $699 in Roubaix and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roubaix pays 265% 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: $76.0 in Roubaix vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $273, with Roubaix 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

Roubaix vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 265% higher in Roubaix, 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: $699 in Roubaix versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $648 in Roubaix versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Roubaix pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,705 in Roubaix, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Roubaix. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Roubaix, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Roubaix 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Roubaix. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.