Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuruman and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuruman and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Kuruman versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,581 in Kuruman versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,146 in Kuruman versus $3,248 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuruman 24% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.49 R 140

$4.48 ฿150

89.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.96 R 559

$45.59 ฿1,521

-25.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 R 78.5

$8.76 ฿292

-45.55%

Cappuccino

$1.73 R 28.41

$2.97 ฿99.0

-41.75%

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

$1.12 R 18.48

$0.69 ฿22.90

62.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 R 9.65

$0.39 ฿13.04

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 R 37.72

$2.53 ฿84.4

-9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 40.93

$3.75 ฿125

-33.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R 18.15

$2.15 ฿71.6

-48.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 17.25

$1.82 ฿60.6

-42.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.52

$2.18 ฿72.9

-26.15%

Eggs

$2.43 R 39.97

$2.25 ฿75.0

8.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 R 131

$20.00 ฿667

-60.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 R 76.8

$3.63 ฿121

28.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.58 R 108

$13.56 ฿452

-51.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.43

$3.24 ฿108

-48.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.03

$1.64 ฿54.6

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.19

$2.33 ฿77.8

-34.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.95

$2.07 ฿69.1

-20.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.53

$1.55 ฿51.6

-11.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.58

$1.46 ฿48.54

-18.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.92

$0.98 ฿32.86

11.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.28

$0.48 ฿16.09

93.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 R 47.20

$4.35 ฿145

-34.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.4

$18.57 ฿620

-74.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.73

$1.86 ฿61.9

-29.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 28.24

$2.65 ฿88.6

-35.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 R 27.61

$1.42 ฿47.28

18.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R 18.06

$3.17 ฿106

-65.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.49

$1.03 ฿34.41

-14.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 R 65.5

$13.89 ฿463

-71.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 20.25

$1.34 ฿44.84

-8.21%

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

$21.2K R 349.0K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-23.72%

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

$24.1K R 396.4K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-27.86%

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

$117 R 1,933

$123 ฿4,105

-4.57%

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

$34.77 R 572

$13.77 ฿459

152.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.34 R 681

$18.33 ฿611

125.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 R 516

$60.7 ฿2,025

-48.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$6.54 R 108

$8.87 ฿296

-26.27%

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

$196 R 3,229

$688 ฿22.9K

-71.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,394 R 72.3K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-72.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.91 R 822

$59.3 ฿1,978

-15.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.64 R 521

$34.69 ฿1,157

-8.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 R 1,469

$115 ฿3,843

-22.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 R 1,324

$83.8 ฿2,794

-3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 R 5,985

$621 ฿20.7K

-41.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R 5,454

$446 ฿14.9K

-25.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 R 11.4K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-65.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 R 11.5K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-53.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$790 R 13.0K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-77.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 R 11.1K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-73.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 R 17.4K

$494 ฿16.5K

113.69%

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 Kuruman: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $364 in Kuruman and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuruman pays 114% 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 Kuruman vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $291 per month, with Kuruman 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

Kuruman vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuruman and Phuket differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $1,264 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 114% higher in Kuruman, 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: $364 in Kuruman versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $196 in Kuruman versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuruman – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Kuruman versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuruman but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kuruman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kuruman 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 Kuruman 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.