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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $924 in Port Shepstone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,416 in Port Shepstone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,909 in Port Shepstone.

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than in Port Shepstone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Port Shepstone 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$7.37 R 122

-38.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$27.63 R 456

67.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$5.13 R 84.7

72.32%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.94 R 31.98

57.73%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.88 R 14.56

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.72 R 11.84

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.98 R 32.70

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.20 R 36.35

71.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.81 R 13.32

179.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.61 R 10.03

196.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.10 R 18.10

104.55%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.37 R 22.56

64.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.65 R 110

193.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.41 R 56.3

7.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.15 R 101

112.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.14 R 18.78

183.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.68 R 11.27

138.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.58 R 9.60

310.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.36 R 22.50

49.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.58 R 9.56

163.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.22 R 20.13

22.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.88 R 14.53

11.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.59 R 9.67

-11.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.14 R 51.9

41.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.86 R 80.1

276.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.39 R 22.89

33.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.69 R 27.91

58.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.63 R 26.95

-13.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.72 R 28.32

80.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.63 R 10.33

65.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.54 R 108

115.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.29 R 21.32

1.55%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$19.8K R 327.4K

40.22%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$23.7K R 391.7K

39.95%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$112 R 1,843

9.64%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$17.11 R 282

-20.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$33.84 R 559

-44.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$28.93 R 477

109.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.70 R 111

35.37%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$204 R 3,365

246.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,591 R 75.8K

244.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$41.42 R 684

41.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.03 R 496

17.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$92.8 R 1,532

24.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$72.0 R 1,188

16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$357 R 5,897

75.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$328 R 5,412

35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$690 R 11.4K

195.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$697 R 11.5K

114.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$877 R 14.5K

296.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$709 R 11.7K

263.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$3,038 R 50.1K

-83.54%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $357 in Port Shepstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Shepstone pays 508% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Port Shepstone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $133 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 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 508% lower in Port Shepstone. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $357 in Port Shepstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $204 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $924 in Port Shepstone versus $1,250 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 35% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.