Cost of Living Comparison Between Ube and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ube and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,262 in Ube versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,933 in Ube versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,604 in Ube versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Monthly costs are close between Ube and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ube 6% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.01 ¥1,121

$4.70 ฿154

49.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.18 ¥5,468

$45.37 ฿1,483

-24.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 ¥861

$8.43 ฿276

-36.18%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ¥497

$2.93 ฿95.7

6.14%

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

$1.14 ¥183

$0.69 ฿22.42

65.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ¥130

$0.37 ฿12.00

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 ¥342

$2.41 ฿78.7

-11.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ¥492

$3.72 ฿122

-17.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 ¥243

$2.23 ฿73.0

-31.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 ¥257

$1.83 ฿59.9

-12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 ¥777

$2.17 ฿70.9

123.96%

Eggs

$2.21 ¥353

$2.21 ฿72.4

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.27 ¥1,643

$19.74 ฿645

-47.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 ¥1,026

$3.63 ฿119

76.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 ¥2,504

$13.53 ฿442

15.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 ¥864

$3.28 ฿107

64.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 ¥428

$1.61 ฿52.7

66.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 ¥646

$2.41 ฿78.7

67.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 ¥711

$2.08 ฿68.1

113.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.19 ¥510

$1.53 ฿49.97

108.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 ¥423

$1.48 ฿48.41

78.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 ¥222

$0.99 ฿32.32

40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ¥134

$0.51 ฿16.68

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 ¥646

$4.41 ฿144

-8.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.45 ¥1,032

$19.38 ฿634

-66.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ¥317

$1.78 ฿58.1

11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ¥378

$2.71 ฿88.7

-12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 ¥265

$1.37 ฿44.83

20.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 ¥9,020

$11.39 ฿372

395.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 ¥551

$3.02 ฿98.7

14.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 ¥476

$0.99 ฿32.51

201.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.14 ¥3,381

$14.10 ฿461

49.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥190

$1.36 ฿44.55

-12.50%

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

$23.4K ¥3.7M

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-17.10%

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

$16.8K ¥2.7M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-48.81%

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

$138 ¥22.1K

$122 ฿3,978

13.45%

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

$27.00 ¥4,318

$13.57 ฿444

98.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.14 ¥5,460

$18.31 ฿599

86.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 ¥9,077

$60.2 ฿1,969

-5.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 ¥2,191

$17.14 ฿560

-20.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 ¥2,130

$8.69 ฿284

53.16%

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

$282 ¥45.1K

$693 ฿22.7K

-59.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K ¥2.2M

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-13.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.38 ¥6,938

$59.5 ฿1,946

-27.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.04 ¥4,805

$34.77 ฿1,137

-13.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 ¥9,460

$115 ฿3,746

-48.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.4 ¥14.5K

$83.3 ฿2,723

8.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 ¥74.4K

$613 ฿20.0K

-24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$335 ¥53.5K

$437 ฿14.3K

-23.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$865 ¥138.3K

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-58.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 ¥105.5K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-56.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,863 ¥457.9K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-23.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,828 ¥292.4K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-30.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.81

5.33

-66.04%

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

Last update for Ube: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $465 in Ube and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Ube vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $293, with Phuket 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

Ube vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $1,893 in Ube 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: $465 in Ube versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $282 in Ube versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ube – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,262 in Ube versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ube but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ube the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ube 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, Ube 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.

It comes down to priorities – Ube wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.