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: $1,013 in Kuruman versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,559 in Kuruman versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,105 in Kuruman versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Kuruman costs roughly 18% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuruman 24% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.58 R 142

$4.63 ฿151

85.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.36 R 552

$46.84 ฿1,523

-28.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.77 R 78.9

$8.84 ฿287

-46.04%

Cappuccino

$1.63 R 27.02

$3.00 ฿97.4

-45.67%

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

$1.06 R 17.50

$0.74 ฿24.11

43.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 R 8.85

$0.37 ฿11.88

43.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.59

$2.44 ฿79.3

-9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 42.88

$3.61 ฿117

-28.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.23

$2.26 ฿73.5

-48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.49

$1.84 ฿59.8

-42.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.92

$2.24 ฿73.0

-29.91%

Eggs

$2.42 R 39.99

$2.32 ฿75.3

4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 R 130

$19.67 ฿639

-59.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.47 R 74.0

$3.65 ฿119

22.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 R 113

$13.10 ฿426

-47.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.61

$3.39 ฿110

-52.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.04

$1.64 ฿53.4

-7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 R 24.58

$2.41 ฿78.5

-38.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.37

$2.03 ฿66.0

-21.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R 21.78

$1.56 ฿50.6

-15.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.53

$1.50 ฿48.66

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 17.95

$1.02 ฿33.30

5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.25

$0.49 ฿15.91

87.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 R 45.23

$4.45 ฿145

-38.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.80 R 79.4

$18.88 ฿614

-74.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 22.82

$1.78 ฿57.7

-22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 28.27

$2.75 ฿89.5

-37.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.84

$1.40 ฿45.54

15.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.09 R 18.09

$3.12 ฿101

-65.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 R 15.02

$1.00 ฿32.48

-9.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 R 66.1

$14.09 ฿458

-71.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.19

$1.35 ฿43.93

-5.19%

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

$21.4K R 353.6K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-21.41%

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

$23.6K R 391.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-28.19%

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

$118 R 1,950

$125 ฿4,063

-5.73%

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

$34.91 R 578

$13.57 ฿441

157.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.43 R 702

$18.52 ฿602

129.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.00 R 513

$61.5 ฿1,999

-49.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 R 113

$9.19 ฿299

-25.35%

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

$194 R 3,211

$698 ฿22.7K

-72.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,413 R 73.0K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-71.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 830

$57.8 ฿1,878

-13.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.71 R 541

$35.24 ฿1,146

-7.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 R 1,471

$113 ฿3,677

-21.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 R 1,338

$86.4 ฿2,808

-6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 R 6,039

$616 ฿20.0K

-40.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 R 5,570

$446 ฿14.5K

-24.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 R 11.2K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 R 11.3K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-54.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$774 R 12.8K

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-79.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$637 R 10.5K

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-75.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,094 R 18.1K

$524 ฿17.0K

108.82%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $365 in Kuruman and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuruman pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Kuruman vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $292 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,232 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kuruman pays 109% 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: $365 in Kuruman versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $194 in Kuruman versus $698 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 $33.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Kuruman versus $1,232 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.