Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gaborone Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Gaborone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $855 in Gaborone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,314 in Gaborone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Gaborone.

Living in Phuket is roughly 44% more expensive than in Gaborone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Gaborone 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.27 P 148

-60.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$29.00 P 382

11.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.05 P 79.7

47.60%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.34 P 30.79

23.93%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.71 P 9.34

23.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.42 P 5.53

14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.00 P 26.29

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.53 P 33.36

47.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.47 P 19.36

27.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.83 P 10.90

77.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.89 P 24.92

-17.99%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.47 P 32.60

-14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$5.94 P 78.3

229.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.49 P 59.2

-23.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$5.00 P 65.8

127.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.58 P 20.86

88.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.41 P 18.57

19.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.06 P 27.13

7.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.60 P 21.14

35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.35 P 17.78

12.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.18 P 15.48

13.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.46 P 19.24

-22.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.91 P 11.96

-39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.81 P 50.1

11.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.38 P 57.6

335.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.45 P 19.11

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.70 P 22.36

63.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.62 P 8.16

259.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$30.18 P 398

-24.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.61 P 7.97

396.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.56 P 33.76

-60.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$2.93 P 38.57

32.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.43 P 18.82

4.20%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$20.3K P 267.3K

30.97%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$20.4K P 268.4K

32.61%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$62.3 P 820

64.61%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$19.46 P 256

-41.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$41.55 P 547

-58.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$34.56 P 455

50.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$16.54 P 218

-33.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$6.18 P 81.4

24.43%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$128 P 1,692

336.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$2,571 P 33.9K

347.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$46.93 P 618

34.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$17.33 P 228

70.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$67.4 P 887

45.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$75.3 P 992

17.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$309 P 4,075

138.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$211 P 2,782

128.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$472 P 6,218

346.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$326 P 4,289

276.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,002 P 26.4K

80.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,290 P 17.0K

101.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$451 P 5,934

9.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.67

-52.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $309 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $171 per month, with Gaborone 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 Gaborone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $309 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% 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 $29.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $855 in Gaborone versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Gaborone is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Gaborone 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 Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.