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: $1,132 in Grahamstown versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,766 in Grahamstown versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,401 in Grahamstown versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 10% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grahamstown 17% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.22 R 149

$4.43 ฿145

108.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.66 R 703

$35.07 ฿1,151

24.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.88 R 94.7

$8.96 ฿294

-34.38%

Cappuccino

$2.14 R 34.54

$3.00 ฿98.4

-28.67%

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

$1.04 R 16.70

$0.77 ฿25.33

35.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R 11.89

$0.47 ฿15.44

57.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 R 45.55

$2.40 ฿78.6

17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 R 50.7

$3.75 ฿123

-16.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 R 19.42

$1.82 ฿59.8

-33.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.39

$1.42 ฿46.65

-23.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.75

$1.55 ฿50.8

-0.65%

Eggs

$2.78 R 44.71

$2.13 ฿69.9

30.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.94 R 144

$19.76 ฿648

-54.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 R 88.0

$3.48 ฿114

57.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.60 R 139

$11.09 ฿364

-22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 R 36.28

$2.91 ฿95.5

-22.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.59

$1.66 ฿54.6

-7.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.16

$2.27 ฿74.5

-25.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.29

$2.10 ฿68.8

-16.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.24

$1.47 ฿48.24

14.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.37

$1.41 ฿46.29

2.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R 20.53

$1.09 ฿35.78

16.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 17.06

$0.54 ฿17.58

96.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 R 53.0

$4.48 ฿147

-26.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.85 R 78.1

$18.72 ฿614

-74.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 R 20.06

$1.84 ฿60.4

-32.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 R 30.12

$2.95 ฿96.7

-36.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 R 24.39

$2.26 ฿74.1

-33.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.62

$3.04 ฿99.9

-80.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.06

$1.09 ฿35.82

-54.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.53 R 137

$3.82 ฿125

123.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 R 22.56

$1.49 ฿48.79

-6.04%

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

$36.8K R 592.1K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

33.96%

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

$34.4K R 554.7K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

25.17%

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

$125 R 2,017

$102 ฿3,340

22.97%

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

$34.98 R 563

$11.28 ฿370

210.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.38 R 747

$17.75 ฿582

161.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.24 R 519

$54.2 ฿1,777

-40.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$11.01 R 177

$7.85 ฿258

40.25%

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

$179 R 2,880

$577 ฿18.9K

-69.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,052 R 81.4K

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-56.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 R 1,182

$65.4 ฿2,144

12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.63 R 671

$28.89 ฿948

44.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,839

$99.1 ฿3,250

15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 R 1,614

$90.3 ฿2,961

11.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 R 6,375

$756 ฿24.8K

-47.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 R 5,945

$487 ฿16.0K

-24.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 R 12.1K

$2,085 ฿68.4K

-63.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 R 12.3K

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-36.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$890 R 14.3K

$3,591 ฿117.8K

-75.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$650 R 10.5K

$2,610 ฿85.6K

-75.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,195 R 19.3K

$502 ฿16.5K

138.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

5.57

114.36%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: August 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Grahamstown and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 138% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Grahamstown vs $35.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $272, with Grahamstown 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

Grahamstown vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 11% 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.

Average pay runs 138% higher in Grahamstown, 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: $396 in Grahamstown versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,132 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,132 in Grahamstown versus $1,261 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 $1,132 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 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.