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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,034 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,602 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,170 in Upington.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Upington 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$11.00 R 183

-59.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$33.12 R 552

37.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$4.99 R 83.2

75.55%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.54 R 25.70

92.86%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.00 R 16.63

-31.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.68 R 11.28

-42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.55 R 25.79

63.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.50 R 41.59

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.82 R 13.66

162.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.13 R 18.90

61.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.57 R 26.10

38.85%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.45 R 40.82

-8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$7.86 R 131

154.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.51 R 75.2

-19.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$6.70 R 112

102.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.59 R 26.52

103.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.52 R 25.24

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.47 R 24.52

58.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.57 R 26.09

31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.38 R 22.93

12.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.24 R 20.70

17.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.06 R 17.65

-7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.92 R 15.25

-47.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.51 R 41.76

73.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$3.83 R 63.8

384.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.38 R 23.00

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.67 R 27.74

58.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.62 R 27.01

-12.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.10 R 18.30

188.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.94 R 15.62

9.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$4.07 R 67.7

241.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.28 R 21.35

4.69%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$21.5K R 358.9K

28.98%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$23.9K R 397.4K

39.93%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$120 R 2,000

2.48%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$34.82 R 580

-60.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$41.21 R 686

-55.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$30.52 R 508

98.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.53 R 109

35.83%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$196 R 3,269

250.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$4,377 R 72.9K

260.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$50.5 R 840

17.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$31.78 R 529

9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$87.3 R 1,453

32.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$80.6 R 1,342

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$363 R 6,047

71.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$334 R 5,557

33.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$564 R 9,394

260.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$703 R 11.7K

112.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$878 R 14.6K

293.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$709 R 11.8K

257.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$770 R 12.8K

-35.91%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Upington: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $363 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Upington pays 56% 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 $33.00 in Upington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $172 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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Upington. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $363 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $196 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 $33.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Upington versus $1,264 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.