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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,009 in Jeffreys Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,537 in Jeffreys Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,065 in Jeffreys Bay.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Jeffreys Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Jeffreys Bay 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.76 R 93.2

-20.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$33.58 R 543

38.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.43 R 87.8

55.99%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.81 R 29.23

67.40%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.73 R 11.73

-5.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.98 R 15.92

-62.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.79 R 28.94

39.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.79 R 28.99

104.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.08 R 17.39

101.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.94 R 15.14

102.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.70 R 27.54

29.41%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.73 R 44.13

-18.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$5.84 R 94.5

242.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.62 R 74.7

-20.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.02 R 113

88.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.91 R 30.89

69.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.47 R 23.76

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.48 R 23.98

61.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.65 R 26.60

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.38 R 22.30

15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.20 R 19.39

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.08 R 17.52

-4.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.09 R 17.64

-52.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.83 R 45.77

50.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$3.68 R 59.5

410.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.41 R 22.84

24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.87 R 30.30

47.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.62 R 26.16

-16.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.14 R 18.36

175.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.90 R 14.53

15.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$4.14 R 67.0

232.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.23 R 19.89

8.94%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.2K R 342.1K

30.81%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.3K R 392.1K

39.61%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$138 R 2,235

-10.60%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$56.1 R 907

-75.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$60.0 R 970

-68.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$30.90 R 500

100.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$5.76 R 93.2

199.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.83 R 110

33.82%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$130 R 2,096

442.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,426 R 71.6K

258.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$50.7 R 820

17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$32.25 R 521

8.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$88.0 R 1,423

30.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$80.6 R 1,302

4.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$369 R 5,970

67.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$328 R 5,302

31.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$673 R 10.9K

206.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$580 R 9,382

160.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$812 R 13.1K

348.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$780 R 12.6K

236.65%

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 Jeffreys Bay: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $369 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Jeffreys Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $174 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,513 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: $619 in Phuket versus $369 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% 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 $1,009 in Jeffreys Bay – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,009 in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,261 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.