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 $941 in Scottburgh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,461 in Scottburgh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,982 in Scottburgh.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than Scottburgh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Scottburgh 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.52 R 126

-38.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$27.70 R 465

69.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.01 R 84.0

76.45%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.97 R 32.98

52.28%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.88 R 14.69

-15.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.68 R 11.33

-45.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.00 R 33.57

22.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.22 R 37.25

62.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.86 R 14.48

162.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.90 R 15.16

104.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.37 R 23.04

63.50%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.20 R 36.83

5.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.31 R 123

169.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$2.87 R 48.15

27.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.67 R 95.1

131.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.58 R 9.65

484.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.80 R 13.48

105.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.88 R 14.73

173.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.98 R 16.40

107.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.58 R 9.76

168.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.17 R 19.56

28.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.43 R 7.29

137.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.58 R 9.75

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.79 R 46.71

59.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$3.07 R 51.4

514.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.45 R 24.26

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.70 R 28.45

61.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.61 R 26.93

-13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.71 R 28.69

82.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.61 R 10.25

63.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.74 R 113

109.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.34 R 22.42

0.75%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.9K R 333.7K

36.61%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.6K R 412.6K

33.82%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$142 R 2,383

-12.06%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$29.81 R 500

-54.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$33.71 R 565

-45.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$31.64 R 531

94.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.90 R 116

33.19%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$208 R 3,483

236.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,658 R 78.1K

234.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$42.39 R 711

36.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$29.75 R 499

18.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$94.0 R 1,576

20.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$74.2 R 1,244

16.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$368 R 6,163

67.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$338 R 5,675

31.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$682 R 11.4K

200.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$690 R 11.6K

116.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$840 R 14.1K

349.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$620 R 10.4K

327.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.01

-55.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Scottburgh: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $368 in Scottburgh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Scottburgh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $131 per month, with Scottburgh 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 Scottburgh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scottburgh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,411 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: $616 in Phuket versus $368 in Scottburgh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $208 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 $28.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $941 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 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.