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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,047 in Port Shepstone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,638 in Port Shepstone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,228 in Port Shepstone.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than in Port Shepstone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Port Shepstone 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$8.23 R 132

-44.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$40.09 R 641

-18.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$5.86 R 93.7

51.88%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.79 R 44.60

0.36%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$1.14 R 18.28

-22.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.89 R 14.19

-44.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.51 R 40.22

-4.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.80 R 44.75

32.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$0.96 R 15.31

86.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$0.68 R 10.92

111.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.22 R 19.55

29.51%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$1.47 R 23.46

44.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$7.35 R 118

171.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$3.65 R 58.4

-6.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$7.48 R 120

51.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.23 R 19.65

139.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.77 R 12.37

123.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$0.61 R 9.70

280.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.60 R 25.51

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$0.61 R 9.68

140.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.49 R 23.79

-8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.98 R 15.65

12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.60 R 9.59

-5.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.72 R 59.5

14.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$4.89 R 78.2

276.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.51 R 24.12

23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.00 R 32.05

46.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$1.58 R 25.21

40.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$0.45 R 7.23

573.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.78 R 12.41

37.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$7.96 R 127

-50.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.38 R 22.12

7.97%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$37.5K R 599.1K

-27.59%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$33.3K R 531.9K

-17.46%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$123 R 1,966

-16.38%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$18.90 R 302

-41.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$37.89 R 606

-53.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$33.56 R 537

59.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$6.88 R 110

8.72%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$342 R 5,467

62.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$7,371 R 117.9K

60.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$53.1 R 849

20.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$33.29 R 532

-12.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$102 R 1,636

-6.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$91.4 R 1,462

-1.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$399 R 6,382

82.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$384 R 6,136

30.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$750 R 12.0K

178.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$761 R 12.2K

58.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$883 R 14.1K

307.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$653 R 10.5K

284.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$3,063 R 49.0K

-83.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.66

-52.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $399 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Port Shepstone. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $148, with Port Shepstone 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 Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Shepstone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 20% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $399 in Port Shepstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $342 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 $40.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,047 in Port Shepstone versus $1,253 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 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.