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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,156 in Hermanus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,824 in Hermanus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,492 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 6% lower, Hermanus 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$14.09 R 228

-67.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$32.39 R 524

43.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.73 R 76.5

79.07%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.03 R 32.86

49.26%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.22 R 19.75

-43.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.75 R 12.18

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.20 R 35.53

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.54 R 41.01

44.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.12 R 18.07

94.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.00 R 16.23

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.64 R 26.53

34.15%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.51 R 40.60

-11.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.51 R 121

166.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.46 R 72.2

-17.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.87 R 111

92.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.60 R 25.80

101.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.46 R 23.65

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.49 R 24.11

60.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.58 R 25.50

31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.37 R 22.07

16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.18 R 19.15

25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.04 R 16.88

-0.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.91 R 14.68

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.87 R 46.37

48.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.16 R 116

162.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.38 R 22.37

27.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.72 R 27.80

60.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.62 R 26.27

-16.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.10 R 17.75

185.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.90 R 14.48

15.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.92 R 63.3

251.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.25 R 20.14

7.20%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.3K R 344.8K

29.78%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.0K R 387.8K

41.18%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$127 R 2,047

-2.39%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$34.50 R 558

-60.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$52.2 R 844

-64.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$17.59 R 284

251.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$9.58 R 155

80.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.62 R 74.8

97.84%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$200 R 3,229

251.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,421 R 71.5K

259.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$50.4 R 815

17.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$32.76 R 530

7.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$88.8 R 1,436

29.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$80.3 R 1,298

4.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$368 R 5,955

67.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$418 R 6,750

3.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$687 R 11.1K

200.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$924 R 14.9K

63.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$886 R 14.3K

311.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$701 R 11.3K

274.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Hermanus: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $368 in Hermanus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Hermanus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $180 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 $1,892 in Phuket and $1,734 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: $619 in Phuket versus $368 in Hermanus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,156 in Hermanus – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,156 in Hermanus versus $1,261 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.