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 $800 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,341 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,882 in Rustenburg.

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than in Rustenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Rustenburg 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.30 R 103

-30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$47.97 R 786

-32.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.42 R 105

39.10%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.12 R 34.68

36.79%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.90 R 14.71

-2.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.48 R 7.83

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.59 R 25.97

47.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.21 R 36.15

68.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.17 R 19.18

59.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.01 R 16.59

45.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.80 R 29.52

-13.89%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.77 R 45.37

-24.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.62 R 125

157.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.92 R 80.6

-30.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.32 R 104

80.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.88 R 30.72

58.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.66 R 27.23

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.79 R 29.39

23.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.14 R 18.70

89.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.36 R 22.25

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.11 R 18.20

20.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.30 R 21.27

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.96 R 15.67

-42.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.22 R 52.7

32.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$6.09 R 99.7

213.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$0.63 R 10.37

182.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$0.91 R 14.89

205.49%

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

$0.94 R 15.42

222.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.95 R 15.56

7.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$15.05 R 247

-74.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.46 R 23.95

2.05%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$29.5K R 482.5K

-9.77%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$27.3K R 447.2K

-1.00%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$76.2 R 1,249

34.40%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$13.75 R 225

-17.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$37.01 R 606

-52.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$21.91 R 359

137.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$6.05 R 99.2

82.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.96 R 81.3

55.04%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$112 R 1,831

401.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$5,636 R 92.3K

104.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$43.42 R 711

45.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$47.21 R 773

-37.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$110 R 1,808

-11.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$55.9 R 916

58.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$333 R 5,461

121.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$250 R 4,090

93.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$750 R 12.3K

180.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$520 R 8,525

135.52%

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

$1,117 R 18.3K

-55.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.9

-43.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $333 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 126% 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 $48.00 in Rustenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $179, with Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rustenburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 126% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $333 in Rustenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $112 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rustenburg – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $800 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 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.