Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Port Elizabeth

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Port Elizabeth: $1,207 and $1,216 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Port Elizabeth

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Port Elizabeth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Port Elizabeth.

Phuket $1,207
Port Elizabeth $1,216

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,835 in Port Elizabeth.

Phuket $2,037
Port Elizabeth $1,835

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,453 in Port Elizabeth.

Phuket $2,867
Port Elizabeth $2,453

Living in Phuket costs roughly 1% less than in Port Elizabeth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Port Elizabeth 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$11.00 R 181

-58.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$41.67 R 687

-22.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.84 R 96.2

46.40%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.17 R 35.81

25.35%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.03 R 16.91

-8.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.76 R 12.59

-35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.69 R 44.37

-3.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.24 R 53.3

18.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.12 R 18.39

55.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.04 R 17.20

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.51 R 24.94

1.32%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.81 R 46.35

-22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$8.58 R 141

123.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.33 R 87.7

-38.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$8.36 R 138

33.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.19 R 36.04

34.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.49 R 24.58

12.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.70 R 28.04

35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.81 R 29.74

17.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.66 R 27.41

-7.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.45 R 23.83

-6.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.26 R 20.72

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.99 R 16.39

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.26 R 53.8

30.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$4.82 R 79.4

277.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.27 R 20.99

37.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.82 R 30.00

53.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$1.10 R 18.17

101.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$36.67 R 604

-39.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.04 R 33.68

42.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.50 R 8.25

102.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$8.45 R 139

-54.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.48 R 24.38

0.68%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$35.8K R 589.5K

-25.44%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$34.1K R 562.5K

-21.76%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$125 R 2,058

-20.45%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$34.90 R 575

-67.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$44.55 R 734

-61.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$32.20 R 530

62.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$23.27 R 383

-53.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$10.74 R 177

-29.52%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$177 R 2,924

214.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$6,046 R 99.6K

89.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$72.4 R 1,193

-13.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$38.28 R 631

-25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$110 R 1,806

-12.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$95.6 R 1,574

-7.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$598 R 9,859

21.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$415 R 6,838

10.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$808 R 13.3K

159.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$682 R 11.2K

79.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$764 R 12.6K

352.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$522 R 8,604

376.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$1,625 R 26.8K

-69.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.94

-53.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1% 9.8% $45

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2% 26.5% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8% 59.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7% 14.6% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1% 30.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4% 20.4% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8% 17.3% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $598 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 230% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Port Elizabeth. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $197, with Port Elizabeth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

14:34 2:34 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,050,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Port Elizabeth 8,940 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Port Elizabeth

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Port Elizabeth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and transport. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 230% lower in Port Elizabeth. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $598 in Port Elizabeth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $177 in Port Elizabeth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Port Elizabeth pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port Elizabeth. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port Elizabeth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Port Elizabeth 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Port Elizabeth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.