Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Centurion Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Centurion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,142 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,860 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,577 in Centurion.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Centurion 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$10.55 R 174

-56.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$33.51 R 553

37.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.63 R 76.4

90.93%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.10 R 34.70

45.71%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.98 R 16.25

-25.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.80 R 13.26

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.29 R 37.74

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.48 R 40.96

52.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.19 R 19.65

89.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.03 R 16.97

75.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.64 R 27.13

37.20%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.51 R 41.36

-10.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.27 R 137

135.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.89 R 80.7

-25.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.70 R 111

94.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.66 R 27.40

94.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.54 R 25.47

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.66 R 27.47

43.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.59 R 26.19

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.33 R 22.00

15.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.46 R 24.09

2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.09 R 17.99

-10.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.06 R 17.49

-50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.13 R 51.6

41.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.06 R 100

202.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.44 R 23.81

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.72 R 28.35

55.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$2.22 R 36.65

-36.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$88.7 R 1,464

-86.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.14 R 18.88

172.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.10 R 18.10

-5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.05 R 66.8

248.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.25 R 20.57

4.80%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$22.5K R 371.6K

23.54%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.6K R 388.7K

41.04%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$116 R 1,919

5.30%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$37.89 R 625

-64.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$41.49 R 685

-54.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$41.87 R 691

44.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$1.02 R 16.84

1564.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.38 R 122

22.90%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$204 R 3,369

246.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,328 R 71.4K

265.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$49.82 R 822

17.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$32.76 R 541

7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$88.1 R 1,454

31.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$87.0 R 1,435

-3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$314 R 5,181

99.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$329 R 5,431

35.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$530 R 8,745

285.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$811 R 13.4K

83.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$530 R 8,743

557.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$602 R 9,940

327.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$2,165 R 35.7K

-76.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.69

-54.41%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Centurion: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $314 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 333% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $187 per month, with Centurion 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 Centurion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Centurion wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Centurion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 333% lower in Centurion. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $314 in Centurion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Centurion runs roughly 658% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $204 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,142 in Centurion versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Centurion but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Centurion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Centurion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,142 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Centurion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Centurion 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 Centurion 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.