Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Grahamstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Grahamstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $990 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,554 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,118 in Grahamstown.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than Grahamstown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Grahamstown 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.75 R 147

-47.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$34.13 R 572

37.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.00 R 83.8

76.80%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.03 R 34.02

47.78%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.03 R 17.33

-28.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.81 R 13.65

-54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.21 R 37.12

10.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.48 R 41.52

45.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.11 R 18.61

103.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.06 R 17.76

73.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.57 R 26.37

42.68%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.42 R 40.56

-4.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.93 R 133

148.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.53 R 76.0

-19.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.62 R 111

97.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.61 R 26.96

110.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.52 R 25.42

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.49 R 24.99

61.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.59 R 26.67

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.38 R 23.12

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.18 R 19.86

27.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.08 R 18.17

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.97 R 16.24

-49.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.86 R 48.02

55.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.95 R 83.0

281.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.34 R 22.44

32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.71 R 28.75

60.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.60 R 26.88

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.13 R 19.03

176.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.89 R 15.00

12.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.92 R 65.7

259.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.25 R 20.90

8.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.2K R 355.1K

28.39%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.5K R 393.3K

40.38%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$118 R 1,983

5.70%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$35.40 R 594

-61.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$41.04 R 688

-54.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$30.78 R 516

99.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.61 R 111

39.03%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$197 R 3,310

253.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,392 R 73.7K

254.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$51.4 R 862

12.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$32.50 R 545

8.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$89.9 R 1,507

25.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$79.8 R 1,338

8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$366 R 6,130

68.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$328 R 5,506

35.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$676 R 11.3K

203.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$677 R 11.4K

120.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$876 R 14.7K

331.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$598 R 10.0K

342.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,195 R 20.0K

-56.16%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $366 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 128% 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 Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $178 per month, with Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Grahamstown earns 128% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $366 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $990 in Grahamstown – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $990 in Grahamstown versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $990 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.