Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Welkom Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Welkom

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $986 in Welkom.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,500 in Welkom.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,013 in Welkom.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Welkom, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Welkom 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$8.39 R 141

-44.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$19.72 R 331

137.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.71 R 79.0

87.69%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.64 R 27.51

82.93%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.43 R 7.28

72.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.53 R 8.97

-30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.10 R 18.40

121.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.38 R 23.14

161.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.98 R 16.38

130.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.99 R 16.65

85.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.25 R 21.04

79.20%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.73 R 29.00

34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.26 R 105

214.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.38 R 73.4

-16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$4.42 R 74.1

196.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.37 R 22.96

147.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.60 R 26.77

2.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.59 R 26.59

51.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.09 R 18.29

86.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.09 R 18.30

43.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.09 R 18.26

37.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.86 R 14.48

18.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.11 R 18.62

-55.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.19 R 36.65

103.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$2.38 R 39.91

693.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.44 R 24.17

23.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.66 R 27.92

65.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.67 R 27.93

-16.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.36 R 22.84

129.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.37 R 22.97

-27.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$3.16 R 53.0

345.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.16 R 19.46

16.38%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.3K R 323.0K

41.15%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.7K R 431.1K

28.06%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$122 R 2,049

2.28%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$37.77 R 633

-64.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$37.85 R 635

-51.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$31.33 R 525

96.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.37 R 124

24.69%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$196 R 3,295

255.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,373 R 73.3K

256.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$51.6 R 864

12.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$32.76 R 549

7.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$88.5 R 1,485

27.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$88.6 R 1,486

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$360 R 6,043

70.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$340 R 5,703

31.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$687 R 11.5K

198.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$684 R 11.5K

118.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$682 R 11.4K

454.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$699 R 11.7K

278.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.69

-54.41%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Welkom: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $360 in Welkom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Welkom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $151 per month, with Welkom 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 Welkom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Welkom is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,480 in Welkom 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: $616 in Phuket versus $360 in Welkom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $196 in Welkom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Welkom – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $986 in Welkom versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Welkom but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Welkom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Welkom 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 Welkom 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 Welkom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.