Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jeffreys Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jeffreys Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,061 in Jeffreys Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,654 in Jeffreys Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,247 in Jeffreys Bay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Jeffreys Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Jeffreys Bay 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.62 R 125

-42.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$27.95 R 458

15.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.08 R 99.6

46.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.93 R 31.63

50.26%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.75 R 12.25

17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.68 R 11.08

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.01 R 32.97

16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.06 R 33.66

80.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.17 R 19.18

59.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.08 R 17.64

36.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.51 R 24.70

2.65%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.78 R 45.57

-24.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.83 R 112

186.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.14 R 84.2

-33.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.83 R 128

45.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.12 R 34.64

40.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.51 R 24.80

11.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.74 R 28.46

27.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.85 R 30.25

16.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.80 R 29.45

-15.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.27 R 20.84

5.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.28 R 20.99

-11.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.02 R 16.71

-46.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.27 R 53.6

30.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$3.87 R 63.5

393.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.31 R 21.43

35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.81 R 29.68

53.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.54 R 25.24

44.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.60 R 9.83

405.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.48 R 7.82

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.50 R 139

-54.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.47 R 24.11

1.36%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.9K R 358.2K

21.53%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$18.0K R 295.0K

50.09%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$129 R 2,113

-20.58%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$36.46 R 597

-68.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$47.45 R 777

-63.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$32.92 R 539

58.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$6.10 R 99.9

81.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$3.19 R 52.3

141.07%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$145 R 2,380

285.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$6,266 R 102.6K

83.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$74.7 R 1,223

-15.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$39.77 R 651

-25.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$114 R 1,860

-13.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$100 R 1,639

-11.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$438 R 7,180

68.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$345 R 5,648

39.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$808 R 13.2K

160.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$723 R 11.8K

69.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$884 R 14.5K

309.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$693 R 11.4K

275.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.94

-53.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Jeffreys Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $438 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Jeffreys Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $188 per month, with Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeffreys Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,591 in Jeffreys Bay 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: $738 in Phuket versus $438 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% 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 $1,061 in Jeffreys Bay – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeffreys Bay but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jeffreys Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.