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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,096 in Secunda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,692 in Secunda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,288 in Secunda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 12% more expensive than in Secunda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Secunda 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$6.24 R 102

-29.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$30.91 R 506

4.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$5.71 R 93.5

56.39%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.30 R 37.70

26.09%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$0.85 R 13.95

3.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.51 R 8.40

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.09 R 17.80

115.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.36 R 22.24

173.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.21 R 19.87

54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$0.94 R 15.43

56.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.85 R 30.22

-16.22%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.60 R 42.54

-19.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.33 R 136

135.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.15 R 84.3

-33.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.70 R 126

47.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.92 R 31.45

55.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.67 R 27.27

0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.87 R 30.63

18.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.67 R 27.34

29.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.22 R 20.05

24.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.20 R 19.68

11.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.21 R 19.81

-6.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.33 R 21.71

-58.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.44 R 56.4

23.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$5.41 R 88.6

252.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.56 R 25.58

14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.03 R 33.20

36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.58 R 25.83

41.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$0.32 R 5.28

846.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.83 R 13.54

22.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$14.98 R 245

-74.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.55 R 25.34

-3.87%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$36.1K R 592.0K

-26.45%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$35.1K R 574.8K

-22.98%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$154 R 2,525

-33.53%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$38.08 R 624

-70.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$38.94 R 638

-55.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$33.63 R 551

54.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$12.75 R 209

-13.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.72 R 126

-0.39%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$95.1 R 1,557

489.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$5,765 R 94.4K

99.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$56.0 R 917

12.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$33.26 R 545

-11.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$94.8 R 1,553

3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$85.8 R 1,405

3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$433 R 7,093

70.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$373 R 6,111

29.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$811 R 13.3K

159.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$781 R 12.8K

57.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$898 R 14.7K

302.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$699 R 11.4K

272.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,476 R 24.2K

-66.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.34

-50.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Secunda: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $433 in Secunda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Secunda pays 199% 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 $31.00 in Secunda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $198 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 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 199% lower in Secunda. 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 $433 in Secunda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $95.1 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 $31.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Secunda versus $1,232 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 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.