Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roubaix and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,656 in Roubaix, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Roubaix
🇫🇷 France
$1,656
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Roubaix 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 Roubaix and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Roubaix versus $1,208 in Phuket.

  • Roubaix $1,656
  • Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,580 in Roubaix versus $2,027 in Phuket.

  • Roubaix $2,580
  • Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,505 in Roubaix versus $2,845 in Phuket.

  • Roubaix $3,505
  • Phuket $2,845

Living in Roubaix is roughly 37% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roubaix is 22% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Roubaix
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.17 €16.16
$4.40 ฿147
312.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.0 €65.8
$32.26 ฿1,078
129.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.62 €12.11
$8.76 ฿293
55.48%
Cappuccino
$3.83 €3.41
$2.83 ฿94.5
35.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 €2.84
$0.90 ฿30.14
254.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 €1.46
$0.47 ฿15.56
248.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.59 €6.75
$2.55 ฿85.2
197.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$3.83 ฿128
48.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Roubaix
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.73 ฿57.7
-34.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.59 €1.41
$1.47 ฿49.11
8.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$1.51 ฿50.6
86.75%
Eggs
$2.04 €1.81
$2.17 ฿72.7
-5.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.71 €11.30
$19.70 ฿658
-35.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.01 €8.01
$3.34 ฿112
169.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.08 €11.64
$11.16 ฿373
17.20%
Apples (1kg)
$0.98 €0.88
$2.85 ฿95.1
-65.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.11 €0.98
$1.70 ฿56.9
-34.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.19 ฿73.3
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.70 €2.40
$2.05 ฿68.4
31.71%
Potato (1kg)
$0.76 €0.67
$1.45 ฿48.57
-47.59%
Onion (1kg)
$0.92 €0.82
$1.38 ฿46.16
-33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.68 €1.49
$1.07 ฿35.69
57.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.22 €0.19
$0.51 ฿16.91
-56.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.66 €10.37
$4.26 ฿142
173.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.48 €7.55
$18.58 ฿621
-54.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.37 €2.10
$1.78 ฿59.7
33.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.27 €3.80
$2.85 ฿95.2
49.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Roubaix
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.94 €1.72
$2.26 ฿75.6
-14.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.11 €42.80
$22.10 ฿738
117.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.21 €1.97
$3.01 ฿101
-26.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.06 ฿35.34
102.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.07 €21.41
$3.86 ฿129
523.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.45 ฿48.45
42.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K €25.1K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
7.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K €24.6K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
2.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roubaix
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 €157
$96.4 ฿3,221
83.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.18 €13.50
$11.04 ฿369
37.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.56 €27.18
$17.14 ฿573
78.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Roubaix
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.62 €31.68
$52.2 ฿1,744
-31.74%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.16 ฿373
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.97 €9.76
$7.81 ฿261
40.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Roubaix
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$629 €560
$556 ฿18.6K
13.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,319 €7,399
$11.6K ฿387.0K
-28.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Roubaix
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.0 €77.4
$64.2 ฿2,146
35.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.20 €35.76
$28.69 ฿959
40.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 €89.5
$95.4 ฿3,187
5.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 €91.1
$88.0 ฿2,940
16.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Roubaix
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$756 €672
$737 ฿24.6K
2.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 €537
$462 ฿15.5K
30.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,360 €1,209
$2,095 ฿70.0K
-35.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,132 €1,007
$1,201 ฿40.1K
-5.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,956 €3,519
$3,488 ฿116.6K
13.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,007 €2,675
$2,523 ฿84.3K
19.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Roubaix
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,761 €1,566
$501 ฿16.7K
251.71%
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: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Roubaix
$604
Phuket
$462 23.5% $142
Eating Out
Roubaix
$301
Phuket
$121 59.7% $180
Groceries & Markets
Roubaix
$254
Phuket
$269 5.9% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roubaix
$222
Phuket
$125 43.9% $98
Clothing & Footwear
Roubaix
$149
Phuket
$124 16.3% $24
Getting Around
Roubaix
$69
Phuket
$39 42.7% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Roubaix
$58
Phuket
$68 17.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Roubaix and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roubaix pays 252% 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: $74.0 in Roubaix vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $269, with Roubaix cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Roubaix
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
18:23 6:23 PM
23:23 11:23 PM
5 h ahead of Roubaix
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
98,892
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Roubaix Phuket 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Roubaix
  • 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
Roubaix vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Roubaix?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Roubaix or Phuket?
Average pay runs 252% higher in Roubaix, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Roubaix and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Roubaix versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $629 in Roubaix versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Roubaix and in Phuket?
Shoppers in Roubaix pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Roubaix or in Phuket?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,656 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.
Is Roubaix or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Roubaix or Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Roubaix. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Roubaix vs other spots: cost of living compared

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