Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,607 in Pietermaritzburg versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,153 in Pietermaritzburg versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Pietermaritzburg costs roughly 16% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pietermaritzburg 21% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.32 R 135

$4.70 ฿153

77.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.99 R 699

$45.37 ฿1,482

-5.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 R 93.6

$8.43 ฿275

-31.67%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R 36.35

$2.93 ฿95.6

-23.55%

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

$0.88 R 14.31

$0.69 ฿22.40

27.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R 11.20

$0.37 ฿11.99

86.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 R 27.13

$2.41 ฿78.6

-30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 R 38.12

$3.72 ฿122

-36.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R 17.04

$2.23 ฿72.9

-52.91%

White Bread (500g)

$0.80 R 13.06

$1.83 ฿59.8

-56.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.33

$2.17 ฿70.8

-30.88%

Eggs

$2.35 R 38.19

$2.21 ฿72.3

6.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.99 R 114

$19.74 ฿645

-64.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.71 R 76.5

$3.63 ฿119

29.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 R 111

$13.53 ฿442

-49.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.91

$3.28 ฿107

-49.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.61

$1.61 ฿52.6

9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 R 31.58

$2.41 ฿78.6

-19.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.20

$2.08 ฿68.1

-16.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.11

$1.53 ฿49.93

0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 R 28.64

$1.48 ฿48.36

18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.06

$0.99 ฿32.29

31.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.19

$0.51 ฿16.67

96.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R 47.55

$4.41 ฿144

-33.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.55 R 57.6

$19.38 ฿633

-81.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.27

$1.78 ฿58.1

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 R 28.92

$2.71 ฿88.6

-34.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.73 R 44.44

$1.37 ฿44.79

99.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.34 R 298

$11.39 ฿372

61.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 R 27.48

$3.02 ฿98.6

-44.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 R 8.49

$0.99 ฿32.48

-47.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 R 64.7

$14.10 ฿461

-71.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R 19.47

$1.36 ฿44.51

-11.76%

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

$23.4K R 380.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-17.00%

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

$22.9K R 371.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-30.48%

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

$238 R 3,861

$122 ฿3,975

95.25%

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

$30.61 R 497

$13.57 ฿443

125.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 R 948

$18.31 ฿598

218.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.05 R 618

$60.2 ฿1,967

-36.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 R 80.3

$8.69 ฿284

-43.15%

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

$148 R 2,401

$693 ฿22.6K

-78.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,723 R 76.8K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-69.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 R 1,011

$59.5 ฿1,944

4.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 R 615

$34.77 ฿1,136

8.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$178 R 2,885

$115 ฿3,743

54.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.4 R 1,226

$83.3 ฿2,720

-9.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$202 R 3,280

$613 ฿20.0K

-67.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 R 2,986

$437 ฿14.3K

-57.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,492

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-75.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 R 6,161

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-74.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$916 R 14.9K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-75.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$442 R 7,187

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-83.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$919 R 14.9K

$508 ฿16.6K

80.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

5.33

115.76%

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

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $202 in Pietermaritzburg and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pietermaritzburg pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Pietermaritzburg vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $293 per month, with Pietermaritzburg 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

Pietermaritzburg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pietermaritzburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Pietermaritzburg pays 81% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $202 in Pietermaritzburg versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $148 in Pietermaritzburg versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,061 in Pietermaritzburg versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pietermaritzburg but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pietermaritzburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pietermaritzburg 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, Pietermaritzburg and Phuket 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 Pietermaritzburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.