Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $990 in Grahamstown versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in Grahamstown versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,118 in Grahamstown versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 20% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grahamstown 26% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.75 R 147

$4.63 ฿151

88.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.13 R 572

$46.84 ฿1,532

-27.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 R 83.8

$8.84 ฿289

-43.44%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 34.02

$3.00 ฿98.0

-32.33%

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

$1.03 R 17.33

$0.74 ฿24.25

39.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.65

$0.37 ฿11.95

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 37.12

$2.44 ฿79.8

-9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 41.52

$3.61 ฿118

-31.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.61

$2.26 ฿73.9

-50.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.76

$1.84 ฿60.1

-42.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.37

$2.24 ฿73.4

-29.91%

Eggs

$2.42 R 40.56

$2.32 ฿75.7

4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 R 133

$19.67 ฿643

-59.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 R 76.0

$3.65 ฿119

24.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 R 111

$13.10 ฿428

-49.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.96

$3.39 ฿111

-52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.42

$1.64 ฿53.7

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.99

$2.41 ฿79.0

-38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.67

$2.03 ฿66.4

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 R 23.12

$1.56 ฿50.9

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.86

$1.50 ฿48.94

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 18.17

$1.02 ฿33.50

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.24

$0.49 ฿16.00

97.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 48.02

$4.45 ฿145

-35.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 R 83.0

$18.88 ฿617

-73.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.44

$1.78 ฿58.1

-24.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 28.75

$2.75 ฿90.1

-37.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 R 26.88

$1.40 ฿45.81

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 19.03

$3.12 ฿102

-63.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 15.00

$1.00 ฿32.67

-11.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 R 65.7

$14.09 ฿461

-72.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.90

$1.35 ฿44.19

-7.41%

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

$21.2K R 355.1K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-22.11%

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

$23.5K R 393.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-28.77%

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

$118 R 1,983

$125 ฿4,087

-5.39%

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

$35.40 R 594

$13.57 ฿444

160.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.04 R 688

$18.52 ฿606

121.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.78 R 516

$61.5 ฿2,010

-49.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 R 111

$9.19 ฿300

-28.07%

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

$197 R 3,310

$698 ฿22.8K

-71.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,392 R 73.7K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-71.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 R 862

$57.8 ฿1,889

-10.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.50 R 545

$35.24 ฿1,152

-7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 R 1,507

$113 ฿3,699

-20.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 R 1,338

$86.4 ฿2,825

-7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,130

$616 ฿20.1K

-40.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 R 5,506

$446 ฿14.6K

-26.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 R 11.3K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-67.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 R 11.4K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-54.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$876 R 14.7K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-76.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$598 R 10.0K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-77.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,195 R 20.0K

$524 ฿17.1K

128.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

5.33

115.95%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Grahamstown and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 128% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Grahamstown vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $292 per month, with Grahamstown 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

Grahamstown vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Grahamstown pays 128% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $366 in Grahamstown versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $990 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $990 in Grahamstown versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $990 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.