Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellville and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellville and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Bellville versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Bellville versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,485 in Bellville versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Bellville costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bellville 16% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.60 R 202

$4.66 ฿153

170.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.52 R 392

$32.22 ฿1,059

-23.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 R 93.7

$8.68 ฿285

-32.49%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 32.49

$2.90 ฿95.3

-30.00%

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

$1.36 R 21.75

$0.84 ฿27.75

61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 R 16.79

$0.49 ฿16.08

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 R 37.61

$2.48 ฿81.6

-5.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 58.7

$3.73 ฿123

-1.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 R 22.63

$1.89 ฿62.0

-25.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 R 21.09

$1.41 ฿46.31

-6.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 R 35.73

$1.62 ฿53.3

37.65%

Eggs

$3.08 R 49.24

$2.24 ฿73.7

37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 R 146

$19.84 ฿652

-54.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 R 117

$3.48 ฿114

110.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.54 R 153

$11.37 ฿374

-16.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 R 31.96

$2.90 ฿95.3

-31.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 R 31.98

$1.72 ฿56.7

16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 28.96

$2.27 ฿74.7

-20.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 R 35.45

$2.13 ฿70.1

4.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.18

$1.47 ฿48.49

6.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.63

$1.42 ฿46.69

8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 21.54

$1.10 ฿36.08

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R 18.67

$0.60 ฿19.66

95.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.74 R 59.8

$4.31 ฿142

-13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.13 R 98.1

$18.60 ฿612

-67.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.18

$1.80 ฿59.2

-22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 R 36.73

$2.97 ฿97.5

-22.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R 23.72

$2.25 ฿73.8

-34.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿772

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 R 9.82

$3.10 ฿102

-80.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 R 24.74

$1.08 ฿35.39

43.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 R 83.9

$3.87 ฿127

35.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 R 25.16

$1.43 ฿46.93

9.79%

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

$37.5K R 599.5K

$27.8K ฿913.6K

34.85%

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

$33.0K R 527.2K

$27.0K ฿887.2K

22.11%

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

$120 R 1,919

$105 ฿3,446

14.44%

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

$31.97 R 511

$11.39 ฿375

180.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.77 R 652

$17.54 ฿577

132.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.21 R 611

$54.3 ฿1,787

-29.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

Cinema Ticket

$9.45 R 151

$7.78 ฿256

21.47%

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

$276 R 4,412

$576 ฿19.0K

-52.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,807 R 108.9K

$11.6K ฿380.8K

-41.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 R 928

$63.6 ฿2,092

-8.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.27 R 532

$29.10 ฿957

14.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 R 1,942

$96.2 ฿3,164

26.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 R 1,766

$90.0 ฿2,960

22.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 R 6,663

$733 ฿24.1K

-43.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R 6,792

$501 ฿16.5K

-15.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 R 13.0K

$2,126 ฿69.9K

-61.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$782 R 12.5K

$1,252 ฿41.2K

-37.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$814 R 13.0K

$3,534 ฿116.2K

-76.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$612 R 9,791

$2,622 ฿86.2K

-76.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

5.57

97.85%

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

Last update for Bellville: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Bellville and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Bellville vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $275 per month, with Bellville 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

Bellville vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellville wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,739 in Bellville 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: $416 in Bellville versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,159 per month in Bellville versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Bellville versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bellville but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bellville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,159 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellville hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bellville 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 Bellville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.