Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $836 in Gaborone versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,311 in Gaborone versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,786 in Gaborone versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Gaborone costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gaborone 38% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 P 96.2

$4.70 ฿154

55.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.91 P 392

$45.37 ฿1,483

-34.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 P 77.7

$8.43 ฿276

-29.77%

Cappuccino

$2.25 P 29.45

$2.93 ฿95.7

-23.21%

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

$0.89 P 11.70

$0.69 ฿22.42

28.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 P 6.65

$0.37 ฿12.00

37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 P 28.68

$2.41 ฿78.7

-9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 P 39.29

$3.72 ฿122

-19.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 P 18.34

$2.23 ฿73.0

-37.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 P 11.32

$1.83 ฿59.9

-53.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 P 22.86

$2.17 ฿70.9

-19.82%

Eggs

$2.28 P 29.97

$2.21 ฿72.4

3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 P 100

$19.74 ฿645

-61.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 P 65.4

$3.63 ฿119

37.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.47 P 71.8

$13.53 ฿442

-59.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 P 24.02

$3.28 ฿107

-44.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 P 18.01

$1.61 ฿52.7

-14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 P 24.19

$2.41 ฿78.7

-23.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 P 20.57

$2.08 ฿68.1

-24.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 P 18.65

$1.53 ฿49.97

-7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 P 15.70

$1.48 ฿48.41

-18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 P 15.37

$0.99 ฿32.32

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 P 12.04

$0.51 ฿16.68

80.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 P 47.87

$4.41 ฿144

-17.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.24 P 55.7

$19.38 ฿634

-78.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 P 20.94

$1.78 ฿58.1

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 P 27.39

$2.71 ฿88.7

-22.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 P 6.99

$1.37 ฿44.83

-61.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.23 P 397

$11.39 ฿372

165.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 P 7.60

$3.02 ฿98.7

-80.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 P 35.73

$0.99 ฿32.51

174.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 P 38.59

$14.10 ฿461

-79.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 P 14.94

$1.36 ฿44.55

-16.18%

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

$22.7K P 297.2K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-19.67%

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

$17.1K P 223.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-48.14%

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

$70.9 P 931

$122 ฿3,978

-41.72%

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

$25.80 P 338

$13.57 ฿444

90.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.3 P 1,027

$18.31 ฿599

327.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.13 P 435

$60.2 ฿1,969

-44.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.22 P 200

$17.14 ฿560

-11.20%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 P 86.9

$8.69 ฿284

-23.82%

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

$185 P 2,427

$693 ฿22.7K

-73.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,837 P 50.3K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-75.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.61 P 546

$59.5 ฿1,946

-30.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.02 P 315

$34.77 ฿1,137

-30.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 P 982

$115 ฿3,746

-34.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 P 1,292

$83.3 ฿2,723

18.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 P 3,199

$613 ฿20.0K

-60.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 P 1,882

$437 ฿14.3K

-67.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 P 6,955

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-74.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 P 4,425

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-77.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,011 P 26.4K

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-46.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 P 17.0K

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-50.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 P 5,928

$508 ฿16.6K

-11.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

5.33

71.11%

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

Last update for Gaborone: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $244 in Gaborone and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 12% 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: $30.00 in Gaborone vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $293 per month, with Gaborone 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

Gaborone vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 12% less. 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: $244 in Gaborone versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Gaborone versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gaborone 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, Gaborone 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 Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.