Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kempton Park

For one person, living is cheaper in Kempton Park: $1,231 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $560 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Kempton Park
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Kempton Park Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kempton Park

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,231

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kempton Park

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 Kempton Park actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,231 in Kempton Park.

Phuket $1,278
Kempton Park $1,231

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,889 in Kempton Park.

Phuket $2,216
Kempton Park $1,889

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,547 in Kempton Park.

Phuket $3,154
Kempton Park $2,547

Living in Phuket is roughly 4% more expensive than in Kempton Park, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kempton Park 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.01 R 151

-50.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$37.26 R 623

-13.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.98 R 100.0

47.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.42 R 40.46

16.94%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$1.04 R 17.30

-16.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.81 R 13.61

-39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.47 R 41.24

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.82 R 47.14

30.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.36 R 22.79

22.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.10 R 18.30

32.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.82 R 30.46

-17.58%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.53 R 42.25

-17.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.51 R 142

124.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.30 R 88.5

-37.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.17 R 153

18.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.87 R 31.31

56.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.73 R 28.98

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.77 R 29.54

27.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.98 R 33.08

5.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.74 R 29.03

-13.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.76 R 29.39

-21.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.24 R 20.64

-13.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.29 R 21.54

-59.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.38 R 56.4

24.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.30 R 88.6

254.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.66 R 27.71

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.42 R 40.41

17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.56 R 26.11

-7.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$61.1 R 1,020

-7.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.31 R 5.19

874.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.82 R 13.71

24.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$14.51 R 242

-74.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.55 R 25.91

-5.16%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$36.3K R 606.5K

-26.23%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$34.1K R 570.2K

-21.79%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$182 R 3,040

-47.05%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$39.32 R 657

-71.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$38.46 R 643

-56.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$38.63 R 645

74.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$11.06 R 185

-2.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.46 R 141

-11.35%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$263 R 4,396

80.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$5,524 R 92.3K

103.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$53.5 R 893

16.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$33.01 R 552

-13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$91.9 R 1,535

2.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$84.1 R 1,406

1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$306 R 5,118

133.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$370 R 6,189

32.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$750 R 12.5K

156.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$750 R 12.5K

90.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$862 R 14.4K

384.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$690 R 11.5K

341.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$630 R 10.5K

-20.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.25

-50.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kempton Park: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kempton Park

$370 30.1% 24.5% $120

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kempton Park

$211 17.2% 20.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kempton Park

$260 21.1% 109% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kempton Park

$118 9.6% 3.1% $3.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kempton Park

$144 11.7% 18.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kempton Park

$56 4.5% 32.4% $27

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kempton Park

$72 5.8% 1.6% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $306 in Kempton Park. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kempton Park pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $37 in Kempton Park. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $211, with Kempton Park cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇦 Kempton Park

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

22:19 10:19 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Kempton Park 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kempton Park

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 Kempton Park: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kempton Park wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kempton Park the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $306 in Kempton Park. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $37 in Kempton Park. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Kempton Park is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kempton Park are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.