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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $955 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,481 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,007 in Rustenburg.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Rustenburg 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.18 R 188

-58.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$44.02 R 738

6.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$3.99 R 66.9

121.55%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.91 R 31.95

57.07%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.91 R 15.30

-18.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.49 R 8.21

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.37 R 22.90

78.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.08 R 34.96

73.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.12 R 18.75

101.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.83 R 13.96

121.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.66 R 27.84

34.94%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.92 R 32.22

20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.60 R 93.9

251.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.14 R 69.5

-11.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.64 R 111

97.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.58 R 26.49

114.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.37 R 22.98

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.27 R 21.34

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.58 R 26.56

28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.83 R 13.89

87.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.76 R 12.81

97.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.09 R 18.27

-6.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.95 R 15.87

-48.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.49 R 41.83

78.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.66 R 78.1

305.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.15 R 19.35

54.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.09 R 18.35

152.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.11 R 18.54

26.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$44.10 R 740

-73.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.91 R 15.22

242.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.90 R 15.05

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.98 R 66.8

254.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.28 R 21.41

5.47%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$22.6K R 378.9K

20.30%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$23.7K R 397.0K

39.08%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$69.0 R 1,157

81.08%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.82 R 215

5.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$43.70 R 733

-57.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$23.35 R 392

163.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.53 R 92.8

204.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.40 R 73.8

108.86%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$103 R 1,729

577.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,008 R 84.0K

211.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$50.9 R 854

13.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$34.15 R 573

3.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$87.9 R 1,474

28.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$78.1 R 1,310

10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$308 R 5,167

99.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$330 R 5,534

35.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$685 R 11.5K

198.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$581 R 9,742

156.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$719 R 12.1K

425.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$601 R 10.1K

340.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,330 R 22.3K

-60.60%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $308 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 154% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Rustenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $157 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, Rustenburg earns 154% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $308 in Rustenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $103 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $955 in Rustenburg versus $1,232 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.