Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Secunda Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Secunda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $902 in Secunda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,351 in Secunda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,800 in Secunda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than Secunda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Secunda 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.45 R 88.1

-16.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$27.67 R 447

68.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$4.62 R 74.7

83.33%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.13 R 34.44

42.25%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.79 R 12.82

-12.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.46 R 7.47

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$0.99 R 16.07

151.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.21 R 19.50

202.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.24 R 19.97

75.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.00 R 16.11

90.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.56 R 25.27

41.03%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.47 R 39.86

-10.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.87 R 127

154.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.58 R 74.1

-20.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.45 R 104

105.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.67 R 27.01

93.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.56 R 25.21

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.64 R 26.52

45.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.69 R 27.29

23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.32 R 21.31

20.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.17 R 18.86

26.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.13 R 18.35

-8.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.12 R 18.10

-53.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.83 R 45.76

50.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.20 R 84.0

261.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.56 R 25.25

12.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.87 R 30.25

47.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.60 R 25.93

-15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.36 R 22.02

130.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.32 R 21.40

-21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$3.11 R 50.2

342.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.32 R 21.34

1.52%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$19.1K R 308.7K

44.94%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$26.3K R 425.1K

28.80%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$84.8 R 1,371

45.78%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$37.56 R 607

-64.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$38.61 R 624

-51.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$16.83 R 272

267.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$11.42 R 185

51.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.66 R 108

37.24%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$165 R 2,667

325.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,399 R 71.1K

260.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$50.9 R 823

16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$32.09 R 519

9.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$89.3 R 1,443

29.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$87.5 R 1,415

-3.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$340 R 5,493

82.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$309 R 5,000

39.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$677 R 10.9K

204.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$477 R 7,713

216.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$892 R 14.4K

308.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$707 R 11.4K

271.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,445 R 23.4K

-64.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.69

-54.41%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Secunda: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $340 in Secunda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Secunda pays 185% 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 $28.00 in Secunda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $183 per month, with Secunda 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 Secunda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Secunda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Secunda earns 185% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $340 in Secunda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $165 in Secunda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Secunda – 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 $902 in Secunda versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Secunda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Secunda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Secunda 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 Secunda 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 Secunda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.