Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gaborone

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaborone: $845 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Gaborone
Learn more

Gaborone Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Gaborone

🇧🇼 Botswana

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Gaborone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $845 in Gaborone.

Phuket $1,278
Gaborone $845

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,307 in Gaborone.

Phuket $2,216
Gaborone $1,307

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,768 in Gaborone.

Phuket $3,154
Gaborone $1,768

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than in Gaborone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Gaborone 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.88 P 146

-58.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$29.05 P 391

11.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.76 P 77.6

52.95%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.35 P 31.58

20.43%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.68 P 9.21

27.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.40 P 5.45

22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.01 P 27.10

27.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.48 P 33.35

48.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.48 P 19.89

12.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.84 P 11.27

73.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.78 P 23.97

-15.73%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.44 P 32.81

-14.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.52 P 87.7

192.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.43 P 59.6

-25.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$4.99 P 67.1

118.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.59 P 21.35

84.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.45 P 19.44

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.98 P 26.67

13.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.67 P 22.41

24.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.30 P 17.42

16.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.21 P 16.24

14.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.28 P 17.22

-16.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.97 P 13.06

-46.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.60 P 48.43

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$4.25 P 57.1

342.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.38 P 18.63

31.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.78 P 23.97

59.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.62 P 8.38

133.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$29.95 P 403

89.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.60 P 8.11

403.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$2.46 P 33.15

-58.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$2.93 P 39.41

25.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.32 P 17.79

11.36%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$30.0K P 403.7K

-10.77%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$20.1K P 270.5K

32.75%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$61.0 P 820

58.03%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$18.34 P 247

-38.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$43.67 P 588

-61.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$34.07 P 458

97.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$16.29 P 219

-34.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.23 P 83.8

20.39%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$129 P 1,740

268.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$2,545 P 34.2K

342.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$48.15 P 648

29.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$16.72 P 225

69.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$72.1 P 970

30.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$78.6 P 1,057

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$353 P 4,750

102.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$209 P 2,816

134.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$534 P 7,179

261.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$356 P 4,789

301.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,034 P 27.4K

105.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,260 P 17.0K

141.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$451 P 6,071

11.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.33

-50.84%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Gaborone

$209 24.8% 57.4% $282

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Gaborone

$172 20.3% 35.5% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Gaborone

$123 14.6% 1.2% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Gaborone

$97 11.5% 20.4% $25

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Gaborone

$152 18% 24.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Gaborone

$47 5.5% 43.4% $36

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Gaborone

$45 5.4% 35.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $353 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $29 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $172 per month, with Gaborone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇼 Gaborone

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

06:30 6:30 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

231,626 Capital

💱 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 = 6.66 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 13.45 BWP (100 BWP = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Gaborone 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Gaborone

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 Gaborone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Phuket, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $353 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $29 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $845 in Gaborone versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone 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 Gaborone are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.