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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,123 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,455 in Upington.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Upington 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$12.43 R 200

-62.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$38.08 R 613

-15.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.02 R 97.0

44.19%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.80 R 29.03

61.11%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.09 R 17.53

-22.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.78 R 12.60

-37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.80 R 28.98

37.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.89 R 46.52

29.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.98 R 15.71

92.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.29 R 20.69

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.58 R 25.44

2.53%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.08 R 49.55

-27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$8.33 R 134

138.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.05 R 97.5

-42.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.41 R 119

53.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.87 R 30.19

55.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.50 R 24.21

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.60 R 25.75

41.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.92 R 30.96

10.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.48 R 23.82

-0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.31 R 21.10

8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.11 R 17.82

-0.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.35 R 21.75

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.79 R 44.91

54.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$3.94 R 63.5

372.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.51 R 24.32

19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.80 R 29.00

65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.64 R 26.40

37.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.72 R 11.60

330.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.94 R 15.09

14.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$8.05 R 130

-51.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.48 R 23.78

-3.38%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$32.3K R 519.5K

-13.86%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$34.3K R 552.9K

-21.40%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$144 R 2,315

-27.09%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$38.08 R 613

-70.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$38.37 R 618

-54.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$35.49 R 572

53.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.75 R 125

0.39%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$254 R 4,094

126.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$5,727 R 92.2K

102.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$62.9 R 1,012

1.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$33.73 R 543

-13.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$108 R 1,732

-10.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$90.5 R 1,457

-0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$432 R 6,956

69.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$376 R 6,052

33.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$615 R 9,908

245.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$788 R 12.7K

58.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,025 R 16.5K

244.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$623 R 10.0K

320.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$816 R 13.1K

-37.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.38

-51.05%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Upington: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $432 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Upington pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Upington. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $200, with Upington cheaper for home cooking.

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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 61% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $432 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $254 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 $38.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,123 in Upington versus $1,265 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 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.