Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rustenburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rustenburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $979 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,499 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,018 in Rustenburg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Rustenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Rustenburg 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$11.06 R 182

-59.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$44.98 R 740

1.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.94 R 64.9

122.34%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.95 R 32.03

52.31%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.90 R 14.75

-23.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.45 R 7.45

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.44 R 23.63

75.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.03 R 33.39

84.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.07 R 17.53

100.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.88 R 14.52

106.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.71 R 28.16

27.49%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.92 R 31.64

17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.66 R 93.1

253.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.29 R 70.6

-15.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$6.68 R 110

102.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.61 R 26.54

101.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.33 R 21.91

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.29 R 21.29

80.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.56 R 25.60

32.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.79 R 12.98

96.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.76 R 12.49

92.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.05 R 17.33

-6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.95 R 15.65

-49.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.49 R 41.05

74.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.53 R 74.7

309.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.14 R 18.80

63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.10 R 18.09

140.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.14 R 18.82

24.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$45.51 R 749

-74.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.94 R 15.42

237.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.96 R 15.83

7.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$3.95 R 65.0

251.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.21 R 19.97

10.74%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$22.6K R 371.4K

23.19%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.6K R 388.8K

41.33%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$68.9 R 1,133

78.72%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$12.47 R 205

10.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$43.62 R 718

-57.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$23.59 R 388

157.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$5.71 R 94.0

200.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.45 R 73.3

99.33%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$102 R 1,685

572.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,010 R 82.5K

214.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$50.1 R 824

18.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$33.16 R 546

4.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$88.3 R 1,453

30.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$79.7 R 1,313

5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$302 R 4,979

105.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$336 R 5,526

32.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$665 R 10.9K

205.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$565 R 9,300

164.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,309 R 21.6K

-62.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.9

-46.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $302 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 165% 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 $45.00 in Rustenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $158 per month, with Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rustenburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Rustenburg. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $302 in Rustenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $102 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $979 in Rustenburg versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rustenburg but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rustenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.