Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Uitenhage Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Uitenhage

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,004 in Uitenhage.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,559 in Uitenhage.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,114 in Uitenhage.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than Uitenhage, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Uitenhage 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$8.74 R 141

-48.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$33.50 R 542

39.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$5.01 R 81.1

69.46%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.08 R 33.67

48.08%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.98 R 15.93

-30.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.82 R 13.29

-56.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.29 R 37.04

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.56 R 41.46

41.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.16 R 18.76

88.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.04 R 16.86

74.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.64 R 26.52

35.98%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.49 R 40.31

-10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$7.89 R 128

148.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.48 R 72.5

-16.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$6.57 R 106

105.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.62 R 26.19

107.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.54 R 24.95

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.48 R 23.92

62.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$1.64 R 26.61

21.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.33 R 21.48

15.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.19 R 19.27

21.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.05 R 16.94

-3.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.93 R 15.02

-48.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$2.88 R 46.55

48.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$3.74 R 60.6

411.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.32 R 21.36

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.71 R 27.62

60.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$1.60 R 25.92

-11.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.15 R 18.67

160.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.96 R 15.55

9.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$3.98 R 64.5

249.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.24 R 20.12

4.03%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$20.9K R 338.7K

33.97%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$23.6K R 381.5K

42.16%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$116 R 1,885

4.74%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$35.21 R 570

-60.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$42.17 R 683

-55.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$30.95 R 501

98.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.91 R 112

28.65%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$200 R 3,239

245.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$4,305 R 69.7K

275.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$50.1 R 811

15.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$31.73 R 514

11.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$89.8 R 1,454

26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$79.2 R 1,281

4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$370 R 5,983

64.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$335 R 5,419

33.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$695 R 11.2K

192.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$682 R 11.0K

119.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$919 R 14.9K

289.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$711 R 11.5K

263.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.51

-53.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Uitenhage: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $370 in Uitenhage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Uitenhage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $175 per month, with Uitenhage 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 Uitenhage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uitenhage is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,506 in Uitenhage to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $370 in Uitenhage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $200 in Uitenhage. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Uitenhage – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,004 in Uitenhage versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Uitenhage but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Uitenhage the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Uitenhage 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 Uitenhage 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 Uitenhage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.