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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,086 in Randburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Randburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,459 in Randburg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Randburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Randburg 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.89 R 178

-59.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$46.23 R 757

-30.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.49 R 89.9

62.66%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.51 R 41.16

15.54%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.17 R 19.22

-24.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.97 R 15.95

-50.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.54 R 41.68

-7.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.29 R 53.9

13.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.36 R 22.27

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.17 R 19.15

25.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.81 R 29.59

-14.36%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.74 R 44.92

-23.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.42 R 138

132.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.56 R 91.1

-38.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.32 R 120

55.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.05 R 33.56

45.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.65 R 27.09

1.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.79 R 29.31

23.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.62 R 26.49

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.70 R 27.76

-10.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.64 R 26.94

-18.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.19 R 19.45

-5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.28 R 21.02

-57.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.47 R 56.8

22.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.28 R 86.6

261.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.54 R 25.17

15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.28 R 37.40

21.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.32 R 5.32

846.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.89 R 14.65

14.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$14.60 R 239

-73.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.49 R 24.37

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$36.8K R 603.1K

-27.81%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$31.9K R 522.8K

-15.32%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$154 R 2,515

-33.27%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$38.27 R 627

-70.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$37.05 R 607

-53.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$20.80 R 341

150.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$4.58 R 75.1

141.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.20 R 118

6.81%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$267 R 4,375

109.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$5,650 R 92.5K

103.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$55.4 R 907

13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$46.65 R 764

-36.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$106 R 1,743

-7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$83.6 R 1,370

5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$308 R 5,051

139.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$303 R 4,965

59.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$557 R 9,130

277.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$735 R 12.0K

66.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,960 R 32.1K

-74.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.34

-50.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Randburg: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $308 in Randburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Randburg pays 297% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Randburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $205, with Randburg 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 Randburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Randburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 297% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $308 in Randburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $267 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 $46.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,086 in Randburg versus $1,232 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.