Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roodepoort Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Roodepoort

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,141 in Roodepoort.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,764 in Roodepoort.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,386 in Roodepoort.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than in Roodepoort, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Roodepoort 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$12.49 R 203

-64.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$46.93 R 763

-31.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.58 R 123

17.81%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$2.44 R 39.74

18.85%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$1.23 R 19.93

-28.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$0.93 R 15.19

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$2.33 R 37.87

0.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.94 R 47.72

26.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.24 R 20.11

50.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.15 R 18.70

27.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.80 R 29.34

-13.89%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.71 R 44.12

-22.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$8.57 R 139

128.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.55 R 90.3

-38.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$8.71 R 142

30.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$2.17 R 35.28

37.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.70 R 27.65

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.75 R 28.44

26.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.05 R 33.40

5.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.72 R 27.93

-11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.71 R 27.73

-21.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.20 R 19.51

-5.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.34 R 21.80

-58.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.43 R 55.7

24.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$6.02 R 97.8

217.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.58 R 25.70

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$2.00 R 32.59

39.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

$0.90 R 14.58

147.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.99 R 16.14

206.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$0.90 R 14.63

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$14.71 R 239

-73.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$1.53 R 24.92

-2.61%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$35.8K R 581.3K

-25.66%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$34.6K R 561.9K

-21.80%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$221 R 3,595

-53.67%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$38.04 R 618

-70.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$37.34 R 607

-53.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

$48.96 R 796

6.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$7.25 R 118

6.07%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$247 R 4,017

126.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$5,591 R 90.9K

105.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$54.5 R 885

15.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$33.23 R 540

-11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$108 R 1,762

-9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$92.8 R 1,508

-4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$623 R 10.1K

18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$249 R 4,054

93.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,569 R 25.5K

34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$538 R 8,751

127.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,528 R 24.8K

-67.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.25

-50.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Roodepoort: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $623 in Roodepoort. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roodepoort pays 210% 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 $47.00 in Roodepoort. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $213, with Roodepoort 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 Roodepoort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roodepoort is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 210% lower in Roodepoort. 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 $623 in Roodepoort. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $247 in Roodepoort. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Roodepoort – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,141 in Roodepoort versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roodepoort but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Roodepoort the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roodepoort 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 Roodepoort 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 Roodepoort gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.