Cost of Living Comparison Between Middelburg and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Middelburg and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,011 in Middelburg versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Middelburg versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,092 in Middelburg versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Middelburg costs roughly 17% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 R 138

$4.51 ฿147

88.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.38 R 540

$46.62 ฿1,515

-28.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 79.5

$8.49 ฿276

-42.17%

Cappuccino

$1.21 R 19.61

$3.08 ฿100

-60.71%

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

$0.79 R 12.83

$0.68 ฿22.07

16.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 R 9.87

$0.36 ฿11.75

69.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 R 17.89

$2.43 ฿78.8

-54.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 R 23.01

$3.63 ฿118

-60.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R 17.79

$2.19 ฿71.1

-49.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 R 16.24

$1.81 ฿59.0

-44.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.07

$2.23 ฿72.5

-35.87%

Eggs

$1.60 R 25.85

$2.24 ฿72.7

-28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.47 R 88.6

$19.60 ฿637

-72.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.57 R 73.9

$3.72 ฿121

22.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.32 R 102

$13.47 ฿438

-53.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.08

$3.36 ฿109

-55.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 R 16.43

$1.62 ฿52.5

-37.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 R 17.36

$2.41 ฿78.3

-55.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.29

$1.99 ฿64.6

-40.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.07

$1.53 ฿49.76

5.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R 17.88

$1.45 ฿47.19

-24.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 R 18.84

$1.01 ฿32.96

14.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.14

$0.48 ฿15.73

95.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R 35.20

$4.27 ฿139

-49.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.96 R 80.3

$19.12 ฿621

-74.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 26.80

$1.84 ฿59.7

-9.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R 31.94

$2.74 ฿89.1

-28.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.31 R 21.13

$1.42 ฿46.06

-7.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.48 R 623

$11.72 ฿381

228.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.64

$3.00 ฿97.6

-61.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R 15.23

$1.05 ฿34.00

-10.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 R 66.5

$13.90 ฿452

-70.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 19.87

$1.29 ฿41.94

-4.65%

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

$21.7K R 350.9K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

-22.66%

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

$23.4K R 379.2K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-30.08%

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

$116 R 1,877

$122 ฿3,964

-4.91%

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

$34.51 R 559

$13.93 ฿453

147.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.04 R 680

$18.87 ฿613

122.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.06 R 503

$61.3 ฿1,992

-49.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 106

$8.89 ฿289

-26.32%

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

$197 R 3,187

$691 ฿22.5K

-71.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,324 R 70.0K

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-73.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 R 824

$57.8 ฿1,878

-11.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 R 531

$35.39 ฿1,150

-7.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 R 1,437

$113 ฿3,685

-21.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 R 1,271

$83.0 ฿2,698

-5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 R 5,801

$607 ฿19.7K

-40.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 R 5,303

$448 ฿14.6K

-26.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$688 R 11.1K

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-66.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 R 11.3K

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-53.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$893 R 14.5K

$3,585 ฿116.5K

-75.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$711 R 11.5K

$2,585 ฿84.0K

-72.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,195 R 19.3K

$505 ฿16.4K

136.71%

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 Middelburg: June 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Middelburg and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 137% 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 Middelburg vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $292 per month, with Middelburg 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

Middelburg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Middelburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Middelburg pays 137% 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: $358 in Middelburg versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Middelburg runs roughly 228% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Middelburg versus $691 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,011 in Middelburg versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Middelburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,011 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Middelburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Middelburg 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 Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.