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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $819 in Stilbaai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,329 in Stilbaai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,839 in Stilbaai.

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than Stilbaai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Stilbaai 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.52 R 89.7

-14.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$44.44 R 722

2.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.37 R 71.1

92.91%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.39 R 22.55

110.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.59 R 9.54

16.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.58 R 9.37

-36.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.83 R 45.94

-14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.71 R 27.87

117.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.81 R 13.17

175.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.55 R 8.98

232.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.64 R 26.62

32.32%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.38 R 38.61

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.51 R 73.2

337.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.38 R 71.1

-17.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.56 R 123

78.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.22 R 19.80

168.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.81 R 13.12

98.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.13 R 18.37

113.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.26 R 20.53

65.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.33 R 5.30

363.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.18 R 19.25

25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.87 R 14.14

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.54 R 8.78

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.17 R 51.5

39.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.86 R 79.0

298.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.83 R 13.44

114.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.10 R 17.85

146.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.60 R 26.02

-14.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.37 R 22.21

120.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.28 R 4.57

253.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.55 R 74.0

209.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.26 R 20.40

7.94%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$16.9K R 274.0K

67.25%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$16.6K R 269.2K

98.62%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$52.1 R 847

133.41%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$33.16 R 539

-59.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$27.81 R 452

-34.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$31.09 R 505

93.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.16 R 83.9

68.41%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$216 R 3,506

221.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,114 R 18.1K

1308.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$27.55 R 448

116.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$17.07 R 277

103.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$55.0 R 893

108.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$57.1 R 928

45.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$357 R 5,804

71.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$340 R 5,529

28.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$684 R 11.1K

206.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$701 R 11.4K

115.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$844 R 13.7K

344.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$744 R 12.1K

251.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,412 R 39.2K

-78.93%

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 2, 2026

Last update for Stilbaai: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $357 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stilbaai pays 375% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Stilbaai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Stilbaai earns 375% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $357 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $216 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 $44.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $819 in Stilbaai versus $1,265 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 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.