Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Middelburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Middelburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,011 in Middelburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,551 in Middelburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,092 in Middelburg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Middelburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Middelburg 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$8.50 R 138

-46.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$33.38 R 540

39.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.91 R 79.5

72.91%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.21 R 19.61

154.55%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.79 R 12.83

-13.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.61 R 9.87

-40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.11 R 17.89

118.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$1.42 R 23.01

155.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.10 R 17.79

99.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.00 R 16.24

81.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.43 R 23.07

55.94%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.60 R 25.85

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$5.47 R 88.6

258.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.57 R 73.9

-18.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$6.32 R 102

113.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.49 R 24.08

125.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.02 R 16.43

58.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.07 R 17.36

125.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.19 R 19.29

67.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.61 R 26.07

-4.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.10 R 17.88

31.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.16 R 18.84

-12.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.94 R 15.14

-48.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.17 R 35.20

96.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$4.96 R 80.3

285.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.66 R 26.80

10.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.97 R 31.94

39.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.31 R 21.13

8.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$38.48 R 623

-69.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.15 R 18.64

160.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.94 R 15.23

11.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$4.11 R 66.5

238.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.23 R 19.87

4.88%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$21.7K R 350.9K

29.30%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$23.4K R 379.2K

43.02%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$116 R 1,877

5.16%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$34.51 R 559

-59.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$42.04 R 680

-55.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$31.06 R 503

97.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.55 R 106

35.73%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$197 R 3,187

251.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$4,324 R 70.0K

273.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$50.9 R 824

13.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$32.80 R 531

7.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$88.8 R 1,437

27.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$78.5 R 1,271

5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$358 R 5,801

69.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$328 R 5,303

36.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$688 R 11.1K

194.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$695 R 11.3K

114.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$893 R 14.5K

301.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$711 R 11.5K

263.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$1,195 R 19.3K

-57.75%

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 13, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $358 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 137% 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 Middelburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $160 per month, with Middelburg 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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Middelburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Middelburg earns 137% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $358 in Middelburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Middelburg runs roughly 228% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $197 in Middelburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,011 in Middelburg versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Middelburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,011 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Middelburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Middelburg 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 Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.