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: $1,131 in Middelburg versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,762 in Middelburg versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,393 in Middelburg versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Middelburg costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Middelburg 17% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.69 R 174

$4.41 ฿147

142.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.13 R 620

$32.26 ฿1,074

18.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 R 98.1

$8.93 ฿297

-32.47%

Cappuccino

$1.40 R 22.81

$2.90 ฿96.4

-51.72%

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

$0.86 R 13.91

$0.88 ฿29.30

-2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 R 11.12

$0.48 ฿16.01

41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 R 20.64

$2.35 ฿78.3

-45.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 R 24.97

$3.72 ฿124

-58.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.56

$1.87 ฿62.1

-35.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 R 18.44

$1.47 ฿48.81

-23.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.90

$1.55 ฿51.7

-1.29%

Eggs

$1.74 R 28.21

$2.10 ฿70.0

-17.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.04 R 98.3

$19.59 ฿652

-69.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 R 82.8

$3.42 ฿114

48.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.97 R 113

$11.38 ฿379

-38.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.82

$2.98 ฿99.3

-44.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.06

$1.68 ฿56.1

-30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.15

$2.21 ฿73.5

-46.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 R 21.65

$2.16 ฿72.0

-38.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 R 27.90

$1.52 ฿50.8

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.06

$1.34 ฿44.55

-8.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.07

$1.13 ฿37.57

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.44

$0.55 ฿18.19

83.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 R 40.94

$4.26 ฿142

-40.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 R 80.5

$19.09 ฿635

-74.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 30.17

$1.78 ฿59.2

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 R 35.29

$2.78 ฿92.6

-21.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R 23.48

$2.23 ฿74.2

-35.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.19 R 719

$22.74 ฿757

94.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 R 9.98

$3.03 ฿101

-79.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.46

$1.02 ฿34.06

-6.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 R 151

$3.89 ฿130

138.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.57

$1.49 ฿49.63

-6.71%

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

$37.0K R 600.9K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

39.02%

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

$32.4K R 527.1K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

19.92%

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

$143 R 2,326

$102 ฿3,411

39.61%

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

$35.27 R 574

$11.33 ฿377

211.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.76 R 630

$17.40 ฿579

122.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.77 R 549

$52.1 ฿1,734

-35.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 R 125

$7.69 ฿256

-0.13%

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

$249 R 4,049

$561 ฿18.7K

-55.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,803 R 94.4K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-49.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R 885

$63.0 ฿2,098

-13.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.51 R 545

$29.52 ฿983

13.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 R 1,760

$98.0 ฿3,263

10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 R 1,496

$88.5 ฿2,946

3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 R 6,925

$738 ฿24.6K

-42.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 R 6,223

$482 ฿16.1K

-20.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 R 13.1K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-61.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$788 R 12.8K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-35.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$904 R 14.7K

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-75.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$688 R 11.2K

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-73.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,214 R 19.7K

$494 ฿16.4K

145.89%

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 Middelburg: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Middelburg and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 146% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Middelburg vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $176 vs $274, with Middelburg 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

Middelburg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 9% 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.

Average pay runs 146% higher in Middelburg, 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: $426 in Middelburg versus $738 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 94% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $249 in Middelburg versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,131 in Middelburg versus $1,232 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 $1,131 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.