Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alberton

For one person, living is cheaper in Alberton: $1,206 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $860 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Alberton
Learn more

Alberton Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Alberton

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Alberton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Alberton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,206 in Alberton.

Phuket $1,278
Alberton $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,989 in Alberton.

Phuket $2,216
Alberton $1,989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,772 in Alberton.

Phuket $3,154
Alberton $2,772

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than in Alberton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Alberton 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$8.78 R 147

-49.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$36.42 R 608

-11.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.92 R 82.2

79.07%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.27 R 38.00

24.67%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.02 R 17.03

-14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.83 R 13.92

-40.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.38 R 39.70

7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.46 R 41.17

49.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.20 R 20.05

38.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.12 R 18.78

30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.83 R 30.55

-18.03%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.31 R 38.58

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.41 R 140

126.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.83 R 80.6

-31.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.04 R 101

80.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.77 R 29.50

65.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.59 R 26.51

6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.79 R 29.83

25.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.62 R 27.13

28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.07 R 17.93

41.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.17 R 19.48

17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.16 R 19.32

-7.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.93 R 15.46

-44.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.16 R 52.8

32.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$3.10 R 51.8

506.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.27 R 21.21

43.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.32 R 21.99

115.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$3.09 R 51.6

-53.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$120 R 1,999

-52.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.29 R 4.81

941.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.76 R 12.63

34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$14.46 R 242

-74.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.40 R 23.40

5.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$30.1K R 502.7K

-11.01%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$33.2K R 554.2K

-19.53%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$151 R 2,524

-36.22%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$36.94 R 617

-69.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$36.25 R 606

-53.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$40.04 R 669

67.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$14.90 R 249

-27.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.99 R 100

25.21%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$151 R 2,528

214.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$1,775 R 29.7K

534.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$53.3 R 890

17.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$31.64 R 529

-10.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$93.5 R 1,562

0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$83.9 R 1,401

2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$428 R 7,149

67.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$361 R 6,038

35.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$915 R 15.3K

110.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$980 R 16.4K

45.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$726 R 12.1K

475.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$597 R 9,976

409.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$2,097 R 35.0K

-76.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.34

-50.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alberton: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Alberton

$361 30% 26.4% $130

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Alberton

$177 14.7% 33.4% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Alberton

$224 18.6% 80.2% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Alberton

$118 9.8% 3.2% $3.9

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Alberton

$137 11.3% 12.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Alberton

$52 4.3% 36.8% $30

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Alberton

$136 11.3% 92.8% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $428 in Alberton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alberton pays about 4.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $36 in Alberton. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $177, with Alberton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇦 Alberton

🕒 Local time

11:46 11:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

121,536

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Alberton 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Alberton

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Phuket vs Alberton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alberton is about 6% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 76% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $428 in Alberton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $36 in Alberton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Alberton gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.