Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Polokwane Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Polokwane

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $992 in Polokwane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,461 in Polokwane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,931 in Polokwane.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Polokwane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Polokwane 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$12.44 R 199

-63.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$31.20 R 499

4.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.38 R 118

20.60%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.47 R 39.50

13.36%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$0.98 R 15.75

-10.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.97 R 15.50

-49.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.77 R 28.31

35.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.13 R 34.10

74.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.37 R 21.94

30.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.19 R 18.97

21.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.80 R 28.86

-12.22%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.62 R 41.85

-18.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$7.70 R 123

158.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.11 R 65.7

-16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$6.09 R 97.5

86.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.10 R 33.56

40.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.95 R 31.17

-11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.82 R 29.10

27.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.03 R 32.51

2.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.75 R 28.00

-16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.61 R 25.70

-15.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.15 R 18.39

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.82 R 13.11

-30.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.72 R 43.55

56.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$4.80 R 76.8

283.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.24 R 19.78

50.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.63 R 26.12

79.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.89 R 14.24

149.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$31.55 R 505

-27.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.90 R 14.44

236.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.90 R 14.32

18.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$14.78 R 236

-73.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.42 R 22.73

4.93%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$26.1K R 418.1K

3.77%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$29.3K R 468.5K

-6.29%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$138 R 2,214

-25.75%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$39.69 R 635

-72.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$34.33 R 549

-49.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$23.26 R 372

130.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$8.30 R 133

-9.88%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$185 R 2,957

201.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$1,482 R 23.7K

699.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$47.04 R 752

36.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$37.70 R 603

-22.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$82.3 R 1,316

16.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$96.6 R 1,545

-6.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$297 R 4,745

146.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$211 R 3,371

137.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$438 R 7,001

377.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$289 R 4,617

318.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$1,546 R 24.7K

-67.45%

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 31, 2026

Last update for Polokwane: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $297 in Polokwane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Polokwane pays 207% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Polokwane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $187 per month, with Polokwane 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 Polokwane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Polokwane is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 207% lower in Polokwane. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $297 in Polokwane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $185 in Polokwane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $992 in Polokwane versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Polokwane but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Polokwane the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Polokwane 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 Polokwane 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 Polokwane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.