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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,058 in Randburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,604 in Randburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,151 in Randburg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than in Randburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Randburg 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$11.16 R 184

-59.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$42.44 R 700

8.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.65 R 76.7

90.11%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.22 R 36.65

37.84%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.06 R 17.50

-31.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.88 R 14.47

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.49 R 41.06

-2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.83 R 46.67

33.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.14 R 18.88

98.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.07 R 17.61

69.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.57 R 25.86

43.31%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.47 R 40.77

-8.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.64 R 126

155.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.71 R 77.7

-22.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.54 R 108

99.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.61 R 26.53

100.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.47 R 24.27

10.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.54 R 25.35

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.66 R 27.41

22.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.32 R 21.81

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.41 R 23.25

6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.05 R 17.37

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.87 R 14.43

-40.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.00 R 49.52

48.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.29 R 87.3

246.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.56 R 25.74

19.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.87 R 30.81

43.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.69 R 27.97

-16.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.14 R 18.82

172.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.10 R 18.07

-5.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.99 R 49.38

371.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.26 R 20.82

3.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$22.6K R 372.7K

23.17%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$24.3K R 401.2K

36.65%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$124 R 2,040

-0.93%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$40.40 R 667

-66.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$41.76 R 689

-55.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$18.18 R 300

232.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$4.29 R 70.9

295.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.39 R 122

22.73%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$204 R 3,372

245.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,313 R 71.2K

266.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$50.9 R 840

15.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$32.41 R 535

9.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$91.0 R 1,502

26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$78.3 R 1,292

6.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$285 R 4,698

119.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$335 R 5,533

32.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$497 R 8,194

310.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$638 R 10.5K

133.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,894 R 31.3K

-73.61%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Randburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $285 in Randburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Randburg pays 279% 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 $42.00 in Randburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $179 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 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 279% lower in Randburg. 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 $285 in Randburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

At $1,058 in Randburg versus $1,250 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 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.