Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gabane

For one person, living is cheaper in Gabane: $117 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Gabane

🇧🇼 Botswana

$117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gabane

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 Gabane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $117 in Gabane, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Gabane $117

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $162 in Gabane, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Gabane $162

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $208 in Gabane, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Gabane $208

Phuket costs about 1006% more than Gabane.

Both Phuket and Gabane are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Gabane 91% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

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

$11.29 ฿381

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

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

$530 ฿17.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$161 P 2,161

348.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$117 P 1,573

335.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$299 P 4,029

551.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$208 P 2,798

571.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gabane: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Gabane

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Gabane

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Gabane

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Gabane

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Gabane

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Gabane

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Gabane

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $161 in Gabane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇼 Gabane

🕒 Local time

19:37 7:37 PM

14:37 2:37 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

14,842

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 BWP = 7.43 USD

100 BWP = 6.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 13.45 BWP (100 BWP = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 15.06 BWP (100 BWP = 6.64 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Gabane 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Gabane

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 Gabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 1006% more than Gabane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $175 in Gabane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gabane, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $161 there versus $721 in Phuket.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Gabane, where all-in costs run around $117, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Gabane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $117 in Gabane to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.