Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kuruman Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kuruman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,020 in Kuruman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,579 in Kuruman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,138 in Kuruman.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than Kuruman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$8.42 R 136

-45.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$33.48 R 541

39.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.78 R 77.2

77.20%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.65 R 26.65

83.64%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.10 R 17.83

-37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.58 R 9.32

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.19 R 35.47

13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.56 R 41.32

42.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.11 R 18.01

96.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.05 R 16.98

80.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.64 R 26.58

34.15%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.46 R 39.80

-9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.78 R 126

156.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.61 R 74.6

-20.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.83 R 111

94.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.69 R 27.29

91.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.52 R 24.61

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.54 R 24.87

55.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.65 R 26.73

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.37 R 22.22

16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.18 R 19.01

25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.10 R 17.74

-6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.92 R 14.84

-43.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.75 R 44.46

54.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.38 R 70.9

329.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.33 R 21.46

32.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.71 R 27.68

61.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.68 R 27.21

-19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.15 R 18.56

173.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.93 R 15.10

11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$4.01 R 64.8

243.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.24 R 20.01

8.06%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.1K R 341.5K

31.04%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$23.9K R 385.6K

41.98%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$117 R 1,890

5.74%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$35.56 R 575

-61.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$40.86 R 661

-54.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$30.69 R 496

101.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.71 R 108

36.21%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$199 R 3,218

253.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,266 R 69.0K

272.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$50.0 R 809

18.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$32.22 R 521

8.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$89.0 R 1,439

29.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$78.8 R 1,273

6.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$361 R 5,829

71.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$333 R 5,392

29.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$687 R 11.1K

200.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$693 R 11.2K

118.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$915 R 14.8K

298.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$708 R 11.4K

271.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,085 R 17.5K

-53.25%

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 Kuruman: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $361 in Kuruman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuruman pays 114% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Kuruman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $178 per month, with Kuruman 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 Kuruman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kuruman differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,020 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kuruman earns 114% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $361 in Kuruman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $199 in Kuruman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuruman – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,020 in Kuruman versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuruman but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kuruman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Kuruman 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 Kuruman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.