Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Benoni Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Benoni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,121 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,638 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,155 in Benoni.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Benoni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Benoni 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$8.60 R 139

-47.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$34.15 R 553

36.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.67 R 75.7

81.80%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.12 R 34.24

45.28%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.07 R 17.29

-36.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.79 R 12.76

-54.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.19 R 35.47

10.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.50 R 40.42

45.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.20 R 19.45

82.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.02 R 16.51

77.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.70 R 27.48

31.18%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.41 R 39.07

-7.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$7.82 R 127

150.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.68 R 75.7

-20.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$6.48 R 105

107.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.67 R 27.03

101.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.48 R 23.95

9.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.54 R 24.85

56.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.59 R 25.80

25.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.37 R 22.23

11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.21 R 19.62

19.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.08 R 17.52

-6.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.96 R 15.46

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.00 R 48.63

42.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$5.34 R 86.5

258.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.35 R 21.81

36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.65 R 26.64

66.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.61 R 26.07

-11.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.10 R 17.79

172.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.91 R 14.72

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$3.07 R 49.64

352.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.22 R 19.73

5.74%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$22.2K R 359.7K

26.15%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$23.5K R 380.1K

42.67%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$125 R 2,019

-2.22%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$41.08 R 665

-66.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$42.66 R 691

-55.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$16.84 R 273

263.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$7.29 R 118

21.95%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$210 R 3,401

229.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$4,261 R 69.0K

279.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$50.2 R 812

15.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$33.41 R 541

5.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$90.1 R 1,458

25.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$78.0 R 1,262

6.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$363 R 5,868

67.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$427 R 6,918

4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$444 R 7,181

357.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$707 R 11.4K

111.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$879 R 14.2K

308.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$705 R 11.4K

266.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$2,069 R 33.5K

-75.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.51

-53.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Benoni: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $363 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 310% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $179 per month, with Benoni 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

Phuket vs Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Benoni differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,223 vs $1,121 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Benoni earns 310% less. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $363 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,223 per month in Phuket versus $1,121 in Benoni – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,121 in Benoni versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni 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, Phuket and Benoni 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 Benoni 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.