Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hartebeespoort

For one person, living is cheaper in Hartebeespoort: $940 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Hartebeespoort
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Hartebeespoort Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Hartebeespoort

🇿🇦 South Africa

$940

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hartebeespoort

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $940 in Hartebeespoort.

Phuket $1,278
Hartebeespoort $940

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,482 in Hartebeespoort.

Phuket $2,216
Hartebeespoort $1,482

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,025 in Hartebeespoort.

Phuket $3,154
Hartebeespoort $2,025

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than in Hartebeespoort, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Hartebeespoort 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$8.25 R 138

-45.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$36.97 R 617

-12.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.74 R 95.9

53.48%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.06 R 34.46

37.38%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.09 R 18.24

-20.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.90 R 14.98

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.40 R 40.02

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.65 R 44.31

38.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.13 R 18.82

46.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.01 R 16.89

44.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.48 R 24.64

1.35%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.48 R 41.44

-15.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.01 R 117

172.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.50 R 75.1

-26.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.78 R 113

60.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.52 R 25.46

92.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.41 R 23.59

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.47 R 24.57

53.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.51 R 25.29

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.19 R 19.88

26.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.24 R 20.78

11.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.00 R 16.72

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.01 R 16.85

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.06 R 51.1

37.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$4.90 R 81.8

283.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.33 R 22.24

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.97 R 32.82

44.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$2.37 R 39.50

-38.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$49.97 R 834

13.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.87 R 14.59

247.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.94 R 15.67

8.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$4.39 R 73.2

-15.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.46 R 24.38

0.68%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$19.5K R 325.2K

37.44%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$26.7K R 446.1K

-0.13%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$103 R 1,717

-6.30%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$23.72 R 396

-52.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$32.53 R 543

-48.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$32.16 R 537

109.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$9.20 R 154

16.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.88 R 98.2

27.55%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$219 R 3,650

117.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$4,409 R 73.6K

155.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$40.91 R 683

52.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$26.67 R 445

6.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$70.2 R 1,172

34.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$56.1 R 937

52.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$243 R 4,063

194.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$278 R 4,637

76.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$621 R 10.4K

210.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$563 R 9,405

153.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$456 R 7,619

814.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$586 R 9,778

419.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$2,049 R 34.2K

-75.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.91

-48.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hartebeespoort: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Hartebeespoort

$278 29.6% 43.4% $213

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Hartebeespoort

$173 18.4% 34.9% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Hartebeespoort

$159 16.9% 27.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hartebeespoort

$87 9.3% 28.4% $35

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Hartebeespoort

$133 14.2% 9.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Hartebeespoort

$44 4.7% 46.6% $38

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Hartebeespoort

$65 6.9% 7.9% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $243 in Hartebeespoort. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hartebeespoort pays about 4.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $37 in Hartebeespoort. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $173, with Hartebeespoort cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇦 Hartebeespoort

🕒 Local time

07:57 7:57 AM

02:57 2:57 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

26,732

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, 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).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 16.69 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Hartebeespoort 8,480 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Hartebeespoort

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 Hartebeespoort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hartebeespoort is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $243 in Hartebeespoort. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $219 in Hartebeespoort. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Hartebeespoort are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.