Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jeffreys Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeffreys Bay: $1,035 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Jeffreys Bay
Learn more

Jeffreys Bay Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Jeffreys Bay

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Jeffreys Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,035 in Jeffreys Bay.

Phuket $1,278
Jeffreys Bay $1,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,605 in Jeffreys Bay.

Phuket $2,216
Jeffreys Bay $1,605

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,176 in Jeffreys Bay.

Phuket $3,154
Jeffreys Bay $2,176

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than in Jeffreys Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Jeffreys Bay 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$7.76 R 129

-42.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$27.32 R 454

18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.96 R 99.0

47.82%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.82 R 30.16

55.49%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.78 R 12.89

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.65 R 10.75

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.02 R 33.58

26.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$1.95 R 32.34

88.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.19 R 19.81

39.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.02 R 16.85

43.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.48 R 24.52

1.35%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.75 R 45.68

-24.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$6.40 R 106

197.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.86 R 80.7

-32.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.40 R 123

47.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.01 R 33.40

45.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.50 R 24.99

12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.71 R 28.33

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.73 R 28.70

20.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.74 R 28.93

-13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.24 R 20.63

11.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$1.18 R 19.65

-9.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.03 R 17.17

-49.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.17 R 52.7

32.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$3.84 R 63.8

389.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.24 R 20.51

46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$1.75 R 29.10

62.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.54 R 25.57

-5.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.64 R 10.55

371.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.51 R 8.48

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$8.30 R 138

-55.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.37 R 22.78

7.30%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$20.9K R 347.2K

28.08%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$17.6K R 291.6K

52.00%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$126 R 2,090

-23.46%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$34.35 R 570

-67.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$45.62 R 757

-63.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$31.92 R 530

110.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$6.03 R 100

77.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.13 R 51.9

139.62%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$138 R 2,300

243.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$6,108 R 101.4K

84.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$71.8 R 1,192

-13.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$37.68 R 626

-24.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$113 R 1,873

-16.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$97.7 R 1,623

-12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$390 R 6,473

83.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$335 R 5,555

46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$747 R 12.4K

157.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$705 R 11.7K

102.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$884 R 14.7K

372.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$696 R 11.6K

337.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jeffreys Bay: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Jeffreys Bay

$335 32.3% 31.9% $156

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Jeffreys Bay

$181 17.5% 31.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Jeffreys Bay

$206 19.9% 65.4% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Jeffreys Bay

$144 13.9% 18.1% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Jeffreys Bay

$122 11.7% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Jeffreys Bay

$38 3.7% 53.6% $44

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Jeffreys Bay

$9.4 * 0.9% 86.8% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $390 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $27 in Jeffreys Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $181 per month, with Jeffreys Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇦 Jeffreys Bay

🕒 Local time

16:44 4:44 PM

11:44 11:44 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

27,107

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Jeffreys Bay 9,000 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Jeffreys Bay

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 Jeffreys Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeffreys Bay is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,552 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: $716 in Phuket versus $390 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,035 in Jeffreys Bay – Jeffreys Bay is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Jeffreys Bay gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.