Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Somerset West

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset West: $1,160 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Somerset West

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Somerset West actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,160 in Somerset West.

Phuket $1,278
Somerset West $1,160

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,888 in Somerset West.

Phuket $2,216
Somerset West $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,615 in Somerset West.

Phuket $3,154
Somerset West $2,615

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Somerset West, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Somerset West 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.23 R 204

-63.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$45.52 R 759

-28.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.44 R 90.7

61.95%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.06 R 34.34

37.38%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.06 R 17.74

-17.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.84 R 14.01

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.58 R 42.91

-0.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.27 R 54.5

12.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.03 R 17.13

61.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$0.98 R 16.39

48.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.08 R 34.70

-27.88%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.28 R 38.00

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$8.34 R 139

128.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.18 R 86.3

-36.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.22 R 154

18.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.81 R 30.23

61.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.89 R 31.47

-10.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.74 R 29.00

29.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.69 R 28.20

23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.51 R 25.23

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.53 R 25.48

-9.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.29 R 21.42

-17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.07 R 17.80

-51.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.39 R 56.5

23.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.89 R 98.1

219.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.36 R 22.73

33.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.75 R 29.17

62.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.11 R 18.47

30.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$60.4 R 1,007

-6.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$0.59 R 9.81

411.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.54 R 25.72

-33.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$4.94 R 82.4

-25.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.42 R 23.68

3.52%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$29.3K R 487.5K

-8.48%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$29.4K R 489.1K

-9.07%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$82.1 R 1,368

17.40%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$29.05 R 484

-61.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$40.47 R 674

-58.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$44.16 R 736

52.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$10.43 R 174

2.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.28 R 121

3.02%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$251 R 4,175

89.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$3,596 R 59.9K

213.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$30.99 R 516

101.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$31.32 R 522

-9.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$71.3 R 1,189

32.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$56.3 R 939

52.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$643 R 10.7K

11.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$426 R 7,095

15.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,341 R 22.3K

43.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$937 R 15.6K

52.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,221 R 20.3K

241.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$892 R 14.9K

241.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,418 R 23.6K

-64.58%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Somerset West: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Somerset West

$426 36.7% 13.3% $65

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Somerset West

$200 17.2% 25% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Somerset West

$152 13.1% 21.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Somerset West

$86 7.4% 29.9% $36

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Somerset West

$166 14.3% 36.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Somerset West

$59 5.1% 28.6% $24

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Somerset West

$73 6.3% 3.7% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $643 in Somerset West. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerset West pays about 2.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $46 in Somerset West. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $200, with Somerset West cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

22:36 10:36 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

55,166

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Somerset West 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Somerset West

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 9% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $643 in Somerset West. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $251 in Somerset West. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Somerset West gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Somerset West are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.