Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Port Elizabeth Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Port Elizabeth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,236 in Port Elizabeth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,900 in Port Elizabeth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,563 in Port Elizabeth.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than in Port Elizabeth, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Port Elizabeth 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿151

$11.37 R 183

-59.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,082

$44.17 R 709

-26.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿295

$6.12 R 98.3

45.42%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿93.0

$2.13 R 34.16

31.46%

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

$0.88 ฿29.19

$1.10 R 17.69

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.23

$0.80 R 12.91

-38.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿79.2

$2.84 R 45.69

-15.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

$3.23 R 51.9

14.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿59.3

$1.22 R 19.56

46.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.81

$1.09 R 17.47

32.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.6

$1.49 R 24.00

6.04%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.5

$2.81 R 45.09

-24.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿661

$9.08 R 146

119.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿114

$5.56 R 89.4

-38.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿376

$8.62 R 138

31.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.8

$2.14 R 34.44

37.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.1

$1.59 R 25.62

8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿77.1

$1.68 R 26.95

38.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.0

$1.77 R 28.44

17.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$1.77 R 28.50

-16.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.05

$1.42 R 22.80

-4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.45

$1.33 R 21.32

-17.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿19.06

$1.04 R 16.77

-45.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿142

$3.37 R 54.1

26.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿611

$4.83 R 77.5

281.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.31 R 21.03

42.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.9

$1.81 R 29.05

61.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.6

$1.18 R 18.99

88.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

$36.87 R 592

-37.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.17 R 34.93

39.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

$0.49 R 7.81

118.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿130

$8.56 R 138

-54.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.49

$1.41 R 22.68

5.67%

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

$27.1K ฿899.8K

$36.5K R 586.0K

-25.64%

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

$27.5K ฿910.6K

$34.5K R 553.8K

-20.37%

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

$103 ฿3,410

$125 R 2,013

-17.95%

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

$10.99 ฿365

$35.65 R 573

-69.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿581

$46.87 R 753

-62.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,776

$32.16 R 517

66.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

$24.02 R 386

-53.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿248

$10.92 R 175

-31.50%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

$185 R 2,974

200.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿393.2K

$6,340 R 101.8K

86.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,125

$72.1 R 1,158

-11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿964

$38.23 R 614

-23.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,183

$115 R 1,841

-16.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,997

$99.9 R 1,604

-9.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.2K

$633 R 10.2K

15.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.6K

$429 R 6,896

16.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿69.3K

$846 R 13.6K

147.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿40.1K

$704 R 11.3K

71.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

$799 R 12.8K

350.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.3K

$545 R 8,755

360.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.7K

$1,641 R 26.4K

-69.33%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Port Elizabeth: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $633 in Port Elizabeth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 226% 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 $44.00 in Port Elizabeth. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $203, with Port Elizabeth cheaper for home cooking.

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

Port Elizabeth is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 226% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $633 in Port Elizabeth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,236 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Elizabeth but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Port Elizabeth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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