Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Somerset West Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Somerset West

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,186 in Somerset West.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,965 in Somerset West.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,744 in Somerset West.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than in Somerset West, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Somerset West 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$12.27 R 196

-62.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,059

$47.27 R 756

-31.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$5.74 R 91.8

51.22%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.3

$2.12 R 34.00

36.79%

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

$0.84 ฿27.75

$1.07 R 17.07

-21.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.95 R 15.23

-48.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.6

$2.73 R 43.73

-9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.46 R 55.4

7.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.0

$1.05 R 16.81

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.31

$1.03 R 16.50

36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.3

$2.13 R 34.16

-23.94%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.7

$2.34 R 37.44

-4.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿652

$8.95 R 143

121.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$5.44 R 87.0

-36.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿374

$9.71 R 155

17.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.3

$1.93 R 30.83

50.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.7

$1.99 R 31.86

-13.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.7

$1.71 R 27.34

32.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.1

$1.72 R 27.58

23.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.49

$1.57 R 25.09

-6.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.69

$1.54 R 24.63

-7.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.08

$1.38 R 22.10

-20.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.66

$1.06 R 16.97

-43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.46 R 55.4

24.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿612

$6.40 R 102

190.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.2

$1.44 R 22.97

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.5

$1.84 R 29.37

61.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.8

$1.21 R 19.31

85.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿772

$61.3 R 980

-61.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.65 R 10.34

376.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.39

$1.60 R 25.58

-32.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$5.06 R 80.9

-23.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.93

$1.44 R 22.99

-0.69%

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

$27.8K ฿913.6K

$30.3K R 484.3K

-8.19%

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

$27.0K ฿887.2K

$30.0K R 480.2K

-10.09%

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

$105 ฿3,446

$86.2 R 1,379

21.61%

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

$11.39 ฿375

$31.45 R 503

-63.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿577

$40.32 R 645

-56.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,787

$46.98 R 752

15.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿376

$11.11 R 178

2.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿256

$7.44 R 119

4.57%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$265 R 4,239

117.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.8K

$3,814 R 61.0K

203.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,092

$32.05 R 513

98.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿957

$31.89 R 510

-8.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,164

$72.5 R 1,160

32.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,960

$59.7 R 955

50.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$670 R 10.7K

9.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$436 R 6,984

14.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.9K

$1,369 R 21.9K

55.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.2K

$978 R 15.6K

28.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.2K

$1,316 R 21.1K

168.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.2K

$921 R 14.7K

184.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$1,476 R 23.6K

-65.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.12

-44.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $670 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerset West pays 191% 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 $47.00 in Somerset West. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $209, with Somerset West 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 Somerset West: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Somerset West is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 191% lower in Somerset West. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $670 in Somerset West. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $265 in Somerset West. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,186 in Somerset West versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Somerset West but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Somerset West the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Somerset West 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 Somerset West 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 Somerset West gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.