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: $1,145 in Kuruman versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,766 in Kuruman versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,388 in Kuruman versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Kuruman costs roughly 7% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kuruman 16% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.54 R 173

$4.41 ฿147

139.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.36 R 694

$32.26 ฿1,077

31.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 R 81.3

$8.93 ฿298

-44.34%

Cappuccino

$1.82 R 29.86

$2.90 ฿96.6

-37.24%

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

$1.23 R 20.13

$0.88 ฿29.38

39.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R 10.45

$0.48 ฿16.06

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R 39.87

$2.35 ฿78.5

3.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 R 46.12

$3.72 ฿124

-24.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.45

$1.87 ฿62.3

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 R 21.12

$1.47 ฿48.94

-12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 R 29.74

$1.55 ฿51.8

17.42%

Eggs

$4.35 R 71.3

$2.10 ฿70.1

107.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 R 137

$19.59 ฿654

-57.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 R 85.9

$3.42 ฿114

53.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.23 R 118

$11.38 ฿380

-36.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 R 31.29

$2.98 ฿99.6

-35.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.76

$1.68 ฿56.2

1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.26

$2.21 ฿73.7

-16.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.28

$2.16 ฿72.1

-22.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.58

$1.52 ฿50.9

2.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.37

$1.34 ฿44.67

11.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 R 20.19

$1.13 ฿37.67

8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R 19.18

$0.55 ฿18.24

112.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.7

$4.26 ฿142

-15.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.02 R 82.2

$19.09 ฿637

-73.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.37

$1.78 ฿59.4

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R 31.86

$2.78 ฿92.9

-29.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 R 27.23

$2.23 ฿74.4

-25.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 R 10.00

$3.03 ฿101

-79.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R 13.25

$1.02 ฿34.15

-20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.85 R 145

$3.89 ฿130

127.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 R 23.73

$1.49 ฿49.77

-2.68%

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

$37.0K R 606.7K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

39.35%

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

$33.9K R 554.6K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

25.28%

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

$123 R 2,009

$102 ฿3,420

19.68%

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

$34.12 R 559

$11.33 ฿378

201.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.01 R 623

$17.40 ฿581

118.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.26 R 528

$52.1 ฿1,738

-38.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 R 132

$7.69 ฿257

5.20%

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

$235 R 3,844

$561 ฿18.7K

-58.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,733 R 93.9K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-50.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 R 880

$63.0 ฿2,104

-14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.17 R 543

$29.52 ฿986

12.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 R 1,709

$98.0 ฿3,272

6.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 R 1,529

$88.5 ฿2,954

5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$376 R 6,153

$738 ฿24.6K

-49.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 R 6,866

$482 ฿16.1K

-13.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 R 13.5K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-60.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 R 14.0K

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-30.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$915 R 15.0K

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-74.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$606 R 9,923

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-76.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,109 R 18.2K

$494 ฿16.5K

124.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

97.49%

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

Last update for Kuruman: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $376 in Kuruman and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuruman pays 125% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Kuruman vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $274, with Kuruman 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

Kuruman vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuruman and Phuket differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,145 vs $1,232 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 125% 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: $376 in Kuruman versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $235 in Kuruman versus $561 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 $42.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,145 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 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.