Cost of Living Comparison Between Royan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Royan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Royan versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,924 in Royan versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,000 in Royan versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Royan is roughly 46% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Royan is 34% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 €18.33

$4.66 ฿154

356.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €60.0

$32.22 ฿1,065

116.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 €12.72

$8.68 ฿287

70.05%

Cappuccino

$3.81 €3.28

$2.90 ฿95.8

31.38%

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

$2.82 €2.43

$0.84 ฿27.89

235.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.21

$0.49 ฿16.16

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 €6.37

$2.48 ฿82.0

197.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.14

$3.73 ฿123

28.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.89 ฿62.3

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.41 ฿46.54

36.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.62 ฿53.6

28.40%

Eggs

$4.83 €4.16

$2.24 ฿74.1

115.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.00 €21.55

$19.84 ฿656

26.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 €9.72

$3.48 ฿115

223.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 €15.47

$11.37 ฿376

57.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 €3.29

$2.90 ฿95.8

31.72%

Banana (1kg)

$3.77 €3.25

$1.72 ฿57.0

119.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.49

$2.27 ฿75.1

26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 €4.13

$2.13 ฿70.4

125.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.47 ฿48.72

36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.42 ฿46.92

43.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.10 ฿36.25

62.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 €0.33

$0.60 ฿19.76

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.15 €12.20

$4.31 ฿142

228.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 €8.08

$18.60 ฿615

-49.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.80 ฿59.5

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.97 ฿98.0

-12.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.25 ฿74.2

-9.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.67 €42.82

$23.49 ฿776

111.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.10 ฿102

48.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.08 ฿35.56

102.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.90 €30.08

$3.87 ฿128

801.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.43 ฿47.16

47.55%

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

$37.7K €32.5K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

35.68%

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

$34.0K €29.3K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

26.10%

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

$139 €120

$105 ฿3,462

32.44%

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

$16.02 €13.81

$11.39 ฿376

40.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.04 €31.92

$17.54 ฿580

111.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.81 €32.59

$54.3 ฿1,795

-30.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 €8.90

$7.78 ฿257

32.78%

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

$812 €700

$576 ฿19.0K

40.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €8,906

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-10.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €97.9

$63.6 ฿2,103

78.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.95

$29.10 ฿961

39.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €99.9

$96.2 ฿3,179

20.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 €131

$90.0 ฿2,974

68.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$801 €690

$733 ฿24.2K

9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 €550

$501 ฿16.5K

27.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,248

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-31.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 €998

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-7.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,068 €3,506

$3,534 ฿116.8K

15.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,193 €2,752

$2,622 ฿86.6K

21.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.57

-31.96%

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

Last update for Royan: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Royan and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Royan vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $275 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

Royan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,772 in Royan and $1,898 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Royan versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $812 in Royan versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Royan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,848 in Royan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Royan. 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 Royan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Royan 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 46% less than in Royan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.