Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubon Ratchathani and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani: $781 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Ubon Ratchathani
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Ubon Ratchathani Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ubon Ratchathani

🇹🇭 Thailand

$781

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $781 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Ubon Ratchathani $781
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,444 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Ubon Ratchathani $1,444
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,106 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Ubon Ratchathani $2,106
Phuket $2,845

Living in Ubon Ratchathani costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ubon Ratchathani 42% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿156

$4.40 ฿147

5.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.60 ฿689

$32.26 ฿1,078

-36.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 ฿248

$8.76 ฿293

-15.41%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ฿60.3

$2.83 ฿94.5

-36.04%

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

$1.30 ฿43.60

$0.90 ฿30.14

44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.99

$0.47 ฿15.56

14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿80.2

$2.55 ฿85.2

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 ฿121

$3.83 ฿128

-5.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ฿60.6

$1.73 ฿57.7

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿48.84

$1.47 ฿49.11

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.15

$1.51 ฿50.6

-8.61%

Eggs

$2.05 ฿68.6

$2.17 ฿72.7

-5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.08 ฿571

$19.70 ฿658

-13.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.35 ฿78.6

$3.34 ฿112

-29.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ฿368

$11.16 ฿373

-1.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 ฿99.9

$2.85 ฿95.1

4.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.59

$1.70 ฿56.9

-40.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.2

$2.19 ฿73.3

-2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿68.9

$2.05 ฿68.4

0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 ฿47.54

$1.45 ฿48.57

-2.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 ฿35.58

$1.38 ฿46.16

-23.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.07 ฿35.69

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.51

$0.51 ฿16.91

-3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿142

$4.26 ฿142

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.55 ฿453

$18.58 ฿621

-27.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ฿55.4

$1.78 ฿59.7

-6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.51

$2.26 ฿75.6

-62.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ฿40.40

$3.01 ฿101

-59.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.82

$1.06 ฿35.34

-1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 ฿219

$3.86 ฿129

69.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ฿40.86

$1.45 ฿48.45

-15.86%

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

$28.1K ฿939.2K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

6.74%

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

$31.4K ฿1.1M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

16.65%

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

$81.4 ฿2,719

$96.4 ฿3,221

-15.59%

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

$12.16 ฿407

$11.04 ฿369

10.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.40 ฿481

$17.14 ฿573

-15.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.95 ฿1,603

$52.2 ฿1,744

-8.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.14 ฿439

$11.16 ฿373

17.74%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 ฿224

$7.81 ฿261

-14.21%

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

$497 ฿16.6K

$556 ฿18.6K

-10.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K ฿413.4K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

6.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 ฿1,885

$64.2 ฿2,146

-12.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.54 ฿954

$28.69 ฿959

-0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 ฿2,847

$95.4 ฿3,187

-10.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 ฿2,534

$88.0 ฿2,940

-13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$235 ฿7,843

$737 ฿24.6K

-68.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$143 ฿4,785

$462 ฿15.5K

-69.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 ฿35.1K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-49.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ฿24.2K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-39.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-39.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,243 ฿41.5K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-50.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$353 ฿11.8K

$501 ฿16.7K

-29.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Ubon Ratchathani: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ubon Ratchathani

$240 30.8%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 11.8% $28

Accommodation & Living

Ubon Ratchathani

$143 18.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 223% $319

Clothing & Footwear

Ubon Ratchathani

$111 14.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 12.3% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 15.4% $17

Eating Out

Ubon Ratchathani

$108 13.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 12.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Ubon Ratchathani

$61 7.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 10.5% $6.4

Getting Around

Ubon Ratchathani

$9.8 * 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 301% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $235 in Ubon Ratchathani and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 42% 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: $21.00 in Ubon Ratchathani vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $269 per month, with Ubon Ratchathani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Ubon Ratchathani

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

Same time as Ubon Ratchathani

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,977

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ubon Ratchathani Phuket 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubon Ratchathani
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

Ubon Ratchathani vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubon Ratchathani is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $235 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $497 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubon Ratchathani – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Ubon Ratchathani versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ubon Ratchathani but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ubon Ratchathani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ubon Ratchathani 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, Ubon Ratchathani 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 Ubon Ratchathani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.