Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Scottburgh Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Scottburgh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,084 in Scottburgh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,663 in Scottburgh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,242 in Scottburgh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than in Scottburgh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.87 R 128

-43.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$39.52 R 642

-18.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.16 R 100

44.97%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.88 R 46.77

0.69%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.12 R 18.18

-21.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.87 R 14.09

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.51 R 40.85

-6.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.71 R 44.00

37.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.99 R 16.02

88.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.02 R 16.53

44.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.55 R 25.11

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.45 R 39.77

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$8.38 R 136

133.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.10 R 50.3

10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$6.09 R 99.0

86.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$0.64 R 10.44

365.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.93 R 15.09

80.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$0.91 R 14.82

142.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.03 R 16.81

109.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.65 R 10.49

133.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.45 R 23.54

-7.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.49 R 7.95

130.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.65 R 10.49

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.07 R 49.86

38.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$3.21 R 52.1

494.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.52 R 24.69

17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.99 R 32.39

39.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.52 R 24.66

46.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.45 R 7.30

573.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.78 R 12.66

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.67 R 125

-49.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.48 R 24.05

0.68%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$36.8K R 597.9K

-27.78%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$33.1K R 537.7K

-18.33%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$144 R 2,342

-28.92%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$34.89 R 567

-67.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$41.39 R 672

-57.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$33.64 R 546

54.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.93 R 113

10.97%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$335 R 5,442

67.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,911 R 128.5K

45.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$56.6 R 919

11.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$30.59 R 497

-3.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$99.1 R 1,610

-1.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$89.6 R 1,455

-1.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$431 R 7,009

71.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$379 R 6,157

27.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$811 R 13.2K

159.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$766 R 12.4K

60.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$879 R 14.3K

311.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$679 R 11.0K

283.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.81

-52.84%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Scottburgh: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $431 in Scottburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Scottburgh. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $145, with Scottburgh 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 Scottburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scottburgh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,625 in Scottburgh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $431 in Scottburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $335 in Scottburgh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Scottburgh – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,084 in Scottburgh versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Scottburgh but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Scottburgh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Scottburgh 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 Scottburgh 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 Scottburgh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.