Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pietermaritzburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pietermaritzburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,607 in Pietermaritzburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,153 in Pietermaritzburg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 19% more expensive than Pietermaritzburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Pietermaritzburg 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$8.32 R 135

-43.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$42.99 R 699

5.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$5.76 R 93.6

46.35%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.24 R 36.35

30.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.88 R 14.31

-21.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.69 R 11.20

-46.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.67 R 27.13

44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.35 R 38.12

58.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.05 R 17.04

112.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.80 R 13.06

128.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.50 R 24.33

44.67%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.35 R 38.19

-5.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.99 R 114

182.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.71 R 76.5

-22.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.82 R 111

98.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.66 R 26.91

97.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.76 R 28.61

-8.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.94 R 31.58

24.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.74 R 28.20

19.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.54 R 25.11

-0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.76 R 28.64

-15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.30 R 21.06

-23.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.00 R 16.19

-49.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.93 R 47.55

50.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$3.55 R 57.6

445.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.43 R 23.27

24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.78 R 28.92

52.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$2.73 R 44.44

-49.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$18.34 R 298

-37.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.69 R 27.48

78.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.52 R 8.49

90.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.98 R 64.7

254.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.20 R 19.47

13.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$23.4K R 380.4K

20.48%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.9K R 371.7K

43.84%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$238 R 3,861

-48.78%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$30.61 R 497

-55.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$58.3 R 948

-68.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$38.05 R 618

58.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.94 R 80.3

75.91%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$148 R 2,401

369.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,723 R 76.8K

232.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$62.2 R 1,011

-4.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$37.81 R 615

-8.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$178 R 2,885

-35.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$75.4 R 1,226

10.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$202 R 3,280

203.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$184 R 2,986

137.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$523 R 8,492

300.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$379 R 6,161

298.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$916 R 14.9K

309.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$442 R 7,187

491.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$919 R 14.9K

-44.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.5

-53.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $202 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pietermaritzburg pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $177 per month, with Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pietermaritzburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Pietermaritzburg earns 81% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $202 in Pietermaritzburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $148 in Pietermaritzburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pietermaritzburg but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pietermaritzburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.