Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hermanus Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hermanus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,130 in Hermanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,448 in Hermanus.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Hermanus, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Hermanus 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$13.87 R 233

-66.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$33.40 R 560

40.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.75 R 79.7

86.11%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.10 R 35.29

42.86%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.18 R 19.86

-37.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.77 R 12.89

-51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.19 R 36.72

11.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.59 R 43.49

39.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.11 R 18.60

103.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.00 R 16.83

84.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.56 R 26.22

43.59%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.45 R 41.16

-5.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.68 R 129

156.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.48 R 75.2

-18.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.78 R 114

93.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.68 R 28.26

101.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.54 R 25.82

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.53 R 25.64

57.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.64 R 27.54

23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.38 R 23.06

13.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.19 R 19.96

26.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.09 R 18.20

-6.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.89 R 14.99

-44.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.82 R 47.35

57.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.04 R 118

168.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.38 R 23.18

28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.64 R 27.51

67.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.67 R 27.93

-16.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.14 R 19.12

173.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.95 R 15.94

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.92 R 65.8

259.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.23 R 20.70

9.76%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$21.1K R 354.3K

28.67%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.6K R 395.6K

39.57%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$128 R 2,150

-2.50%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$35.70 R 599

-61.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$52.7 R 883

-64.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$17.75 R 298

246.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$9.69 R 163

73.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.86 R 81.5

89.09%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$200 R 3,350

249.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,273 R 71.7K

264.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$51.4 R 861

12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$32.60 R 547

8.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$90.0 R 1,509

25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$78.6 R 1,318

9.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$360 R 6,042

70.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$415 R 6,964

7.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$682 R 11.4K

200.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$919 R 15.4K

62.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$781 R 13.1K

384.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$691 R 11.6K

283.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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 Hermanus: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $360 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $181 per month, with Hermanus 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 Hermanus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hermanus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,694 in Hermanus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $360 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% 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 $1,130 in Hermanus – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,130 in Hermanus versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hermanus but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Hermanus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hermanus 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 Hermanus 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 Hermanus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.