Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Midrand Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Midrand

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,100 in Midrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,661 in Midrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,222 in Midrand.

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than in Midrand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Midrand 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$5.98 R 96.4

-25.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$30.45 R 491

15.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$3.03 R 48.88

195.71%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.80 R 28.96

66.67%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.18 R 19.00

-34.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.94 R 15.08

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.17 R 34.99

10.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.53 R 40.68

48.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.29 R 20.81

41.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.19 R 19.09

19.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.38 R 22.17

12.32%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.58 R 41.58

-17.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$9.21 R 148

114.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$5.70 R 91.7

-38.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$9.32 R 150

18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.16 R 34.74

34.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.12 R 18.10

48.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.82 R 29.33

24.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.52 R 24.45

38.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.74 R 28.03

-15.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.73 R 27.79

-18.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.26 R 20.37

-13.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.32 R 21.26

-59.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$3.32 R 53.4

34.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$5.45 R 87.8

243.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$0.90 R 14.52

104.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.25 R 20.15

136.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.52 R 24.44

48.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.89 R 14.36

241.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.60 R 9.74

81.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$15.00 R 242

-74.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.49 R 24.02

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$34.5K R 556.1K

-20.52%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$30.6K R 492.1K

-9.95%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$111 R 1,789

-8.35%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$24.55 R 395

-54.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$38.91 R 627

-54.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$32.38 R 521

67.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$4.97 R 80.0

120.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$7.93 R 128

-1.01%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$184 R 2,959

214.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$5,707 R 91.9K

103.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$58.4 R 940

11.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$45.03 R 725

-35.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$84.8 R 1,366

16.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$87.7 R 1,412

2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$490 R 7,896

54.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$461 R 7,431

5.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$861 R 13.9K

142.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$772 R 12.4K

56.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$890 R 14.3K

303.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$636 R 10.2K

310.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.91

-48.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Midrand: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $490 in Midrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Midrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $205 per month, with Midrand 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 Midrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midrand is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,891 in Phuket and $1,650 in Midrand 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: $756 in Phuket versus $490 in Midrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% 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 $1,100 in Midrand – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,100 in Midrand versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Midrand but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Midrand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Midrand 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 Midrand 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 Midrand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.