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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $908 in Port Shepstone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,426 in Port Shepstone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,944 in Port Shepstone.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than Port Shepstone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Port Shepstone 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.68 R 126

-38.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$27.56 R 451

64.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.92 R 80.5

71.34%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.90 R 31.01

54.21%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.89 R 14.62

-22.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.67 R 11.01

-44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.99 R 32.52

21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.22 R 36.34

67.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.82 R 13.40

171.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.66 R 10.73

177.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.11 R 18.07

95.50%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.30 R 21.28

70.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.68 R 109

195.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.35 R 54.7

8.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.22 R 102

117.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.15 R 18.74

185.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.69 R 11.34

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.58 R 9.42

315.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.34 R 21.98

55.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.58 R 9.56

163.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.22 R 19.94

21.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.85 R 13.93

16.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.58 R 9.43

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.16 R 51.7

39.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$4.91 R 80.3

294.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.42 R 23.17

25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.77 R 28.95

53.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.63 R 26.64

-15.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.73 R 28.24

74.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.57 R 9.35

73.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.65 R 109

112.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.30 R 21.32

4.62%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$19.8K R 324.3K

42.14%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.9K R 391.2K

37.48%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$111 R 1,819

9.40%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.63 R 272

-18.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$33.36 R 545

-45.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$29.39 R 480

104.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.76 R 110

28.55%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$209 R 3,414

232.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,683 R 76.6K

234.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$42.64 R 697

39.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$29.89 R 489

16.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$93.5 R 1,529

22.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$74.1 R 1,211

12.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$365 R 5,960

68.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$340 R 5,562

28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$683 R 11.2K

206.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$679 R 11.1K

122.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$778 R 12.7K

381.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$606 R 9,902

331.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$3,017 R 49.3K

-83.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.01

-55.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $365 in Port Shepstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Shepstone pays 494% 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 $28.00 in Port Shepstone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $134 per month, with Port Shepstone 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 Port Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Shepstone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Port Shepstone earns 494% 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 $365 in Port Shepstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $209 in Port Shepstone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Shepstone – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $908 in Port Shepstone versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Shepstone but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Port Shepstone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Port Shepstone 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 Shepstone 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 Shepstone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.