Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Upington Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Upington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,006 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,576 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,146 in Upington.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Upington 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$11.14 R 183

-58.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$34.12 R 562

36.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$4.73 R 77.9

83.51%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.56 R 25.63

89.10%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.98 R 16.17

-28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.67 R 11.02

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.54 R 25.40

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.58 R 42.52

46.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$0.88 R 14.49

152.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.11 R 18.22

62.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.59 R 26.17

37.74%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.41 R 39.71

-4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$7.52 R 124

157.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$4.51 R 74.3

-16.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$6.88 R 113

92.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.59 R 26.24

109.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.46 R 23.97

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.47 R 24.26

55.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.59 R 26.11

25.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.33 R 21.89

15.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.23 R 20.28

22.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.05 R 17.27

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.90 R 14.76

-43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.50 R 41.13

76.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$3.76 R 61.9

416.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.39 R 22.85

29.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.69 R 27.88

58.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$1.61 R 26.50

-11.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.14 R 18.85

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.93 R 15.34

11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$3.96 R 65.2

245.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.24 R 20.37

4.84%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$21.2K R 349.1K

31.63%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$23.7K R 390.5K

39.35%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$120 R 1,983

2.12%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$35.74 R 589

-61.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$40.99 R 675

-53.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$31.12 R 513

96.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$6.74 R 111

31.60%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$201 R 3,303

247.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$4,263 R 70.2K

276.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$50.0 R 824

18.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$31.69 R 522

9.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$87.7 R 1,445

29.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$78.4 R 1,292

8.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$365 R 6,014

68.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$331 R 5,452

35.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$561 R 9,248

271.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$699 R 11.5K

113.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$751 R 12.4K

397.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$688 R 11.3K

286.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$779 R 12.8K

-31.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.38

-53.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Upington: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $365 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Upington pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $34 in Upington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $171 per month, with Upington 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 Upington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Upington is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Upington earns 46% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $365 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $201 in Upington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Upington – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,006 in Upington versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Upington but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Upington the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Upington 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 Upington 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 Upington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.