Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stilbaai Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stilbaai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $803 in Stilbaai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,319 in Stilbaai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,835 in Stilbaai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than in Stilbaai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Stilbaai 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.44 R 89.7

-16.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$45.15 R 745

2.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.56 R 75.3

93.86%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.37 R 22.67

123.36%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.54 R 8.89

35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.54 R 8.90

-25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.82 R 46.49

-13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.64 R 27.09

130.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.75 R 12.33

201.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.54 R 8.99

235.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.71 R 28.23

31.58%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.46 R 40.54

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$4.54 R 74.9

329.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.44 R 73.3

-17.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.34 R 121

77.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.20 R 19.81

169.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.80 R 13.22

102.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.09 R 18.04

118.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.20 R 19.76

69.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.36 R 5.87

325.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.24 R 20.46

20.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.87 R 14.39

12.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.58 R 9.61

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.06 R 50.6

45.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.81 R 79.4

280.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.81 R 13.45

129.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.09 R 18.05

145.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.63 R 26.92

-13.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.42 R 23.46

119.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.26 R 4.28

300.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$4.61 R 76.1

206.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.25 R 20.59

4.80%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$16.5K R 272.8K

68.31%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$16.9K R 279.4K

96.20%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$51.6 R 852

137.24%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$33.06 R 546

-58.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$28.42 R 469

-34.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$31.21 R 515

93.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.07 R 83.8

78.90%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$217 R 3,577

225.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,103 R 18.2K

1332.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$28.23 R 466

107.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$16.93 R 279

108.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$56.3 R 929

105.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$55.8 R 921

50.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$369 R 6,095

69.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$339 R 5,589

31.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$677 R 11.2K

201.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$698 R 11.5K

113.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$885 R 14.6K

293.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$662 R 10.9K

289.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$2,402 R 39.6K

-79.19%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Stilbaai: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $369 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stilbaai pays 381% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $45.00 in Stilbaai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $139 per month, with Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stilbaai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 381% lower in Stilbaai. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $369 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $217 in Stilbaai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Stilbaai – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $803 in Stilbaai versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stilbaai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Stilbaai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.