Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Randburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Randburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,048 in Randburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,609 in Randburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,169 in Randburg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Randburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Randburg 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$11.39 R 186

-58.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$41.68 R 681

8.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.83 R 78.9

74.53%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.25 R 36.76

30.22%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.02 R 16.65

-32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.83 R 13.60

-55.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.51 R 40.97

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.83 R 46.20

31.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.14 R 18.65

95.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.02 R 16.61

79.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.64 R 26.87

32.32%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.44 R 39.96

-9.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.58 R 124

160.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.72 R 77.1

-23.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.54 R 107

106.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.64 R 26.75

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.48 R 24.17

8.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.54 R 25.16

56.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.62 R 26.40

28.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.38 R 22.55

10.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.40 R 22.81

5.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.05 R 17.11

-5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.96 R 15.73

-46.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.05 R 49.90

44.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$5.32 R 87.0

264.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.51 R 24.73

17.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.79 R 29.27

51.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.68 R 27.42

-18.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.11 R 18.11

172.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.10 R 17.95

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.00 R 49.00

370.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.25 R 20.39

8.80%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$22.0K R 359.0K

28.42%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.3K R 396.5K

35.66%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$125 R 2,040

-2.49%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$40.24 R 658

-66.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$42.12 R 689

-56.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$17.87 R 292

236.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$4.32 R 70.7

296.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.46 R 122

16.49%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$211 R 3,450

228.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,294 R 70.2K

265.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$51.0 R 833

16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$31.86 R 521

9.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$90.0 R 1,471

27.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$78.8 R 1,287

5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$279 R 4,558

119.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$340 R 5,565

28.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$507 R 8,289

313.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$642 R 10.5K

134.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,980 R 32.4K

-74.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.69

-54.41%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Randburg: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $279 in Randburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Randburg pays 290% 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 $42.00 in Randburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $180 per month, with Randburg 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 Randburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Randburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Randburg earns 290% 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 $279 in Randburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $211 in Randburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Randburg – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,048 in Randburg versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Randburg but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Randburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Randburg 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 Randburg 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 Randburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.