Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stellenbosch Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stellenbosch

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,070 in Stellenbosch.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,737 in Stellenbosch.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,405 in Stellenbosch.

Living in Phuket is roughly 14% more expensive than in Stellenbosch, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Stellenbosch 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿148

$8.47 R 139

-46.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,528

$33.67 R 554

38.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿278

$4.30 R 70.7

97.44%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿101

$1.75 R 28.69

76.00%

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

$0.68 ฿22.26

$0.73 R 12.06

-6.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.84

$0.59 R 9.62

-38.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿79.5

$2.28 R 37.48

6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.28 R 37.49

59.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.7

$0.90 R 14.82

143.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.5

$0.74 R 12.11

144.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿73.1

$1.46 R 23.93

52.74%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.3

$1.92 R 31.49

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿642

$6.93 R 114

182.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿122

$4.55 R 74.8

-18.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿441

$7.24 R 119

86.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿110

$1.04 R 17.07

223.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.0

$1.24 R 20.35

30.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.80 R 13.14

201.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿65.2

$1.34 R 22.10

48.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.82 R 13.55

86.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.59

$1.22 R 20.08

18.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿33.23

$0.99 R 16.31

2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.86

$0.86 R 14.11

-44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.87 R 47.16

48.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿627

$6.20 R 102

208.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.2

$1.40 R 23.02

31.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.8

$1.67 R 27.50

64.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.44

$1.11 R 18.20

27.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿384

$8.25 R 136

42.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.39 R 22.84

115.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.28

$0.99 R 16.25

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿456

$2.77 R 45.55

401.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿42.28

$1.20 R 19.69

7.50%

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

$28.0K ฿918.7K

$13.3K R 218.4K

110.96%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$23.4K R 384.6K

43.20%

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

$122 ฿3,997

$95.7 R 1,573

27.47%

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

$13.93 ฿457

$28.71 R 472

-51.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿618

$40.48 R 665

-53.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿2,008

$35.71 R 587

71.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

$2.72 R 44.78

519.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿291

$5.63 R 92.6

57.90%

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

$691 ฿22.7K

$213 R 3,502

224.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿529.5K

$1,343 R 22.1K

1103.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,894

$44.95 R 739

28.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,160

$19.41 R 319

82.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,716

$98.9 R 1,626

14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,720

$55.9 R 919

48.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.9K

$548 R 9,005

10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.7K

$449 R 7,387

-0.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.5K

$1,354 R 22.3K

49.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.9K

$1,105 R 18.2K

35.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.5K

$2,455 R 40.4K

-79.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.77

-54.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Stellenbosch: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $548 in Stellenbosch. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stellenbosch pays 386% 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 $34.00 in Stellenbosch for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $160 per month, with Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stellenbosch is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 386% lower in Stellenbosch. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $548 in Stellenbosch. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $213 in Stellenbosch. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,070 in Stellenbosch versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Stellenbosch but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Stellenbosch the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.