Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Port Elizabeth and in Phuket: $1,216 and $1,207 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Elizabeth and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port Elizabeth and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,216 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Port Elizabeth $1,216
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,835 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Port Elizabeth $1,835
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,453 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Port Elizabeth $2,453
Phuket $2,867

Living in Port Elizabeth is roughly 1% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Port Elizabeth 10% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 R 181

$4.58 ฿153

140.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.67 R 687

$32.48 ฿1,086

28.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 R 96.2

$8.55 ฿286

-31.70%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.81

$2.72 ฿91.0

-20.22%

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

$1.03 R 16.91

$0.94 ฿31.25

9.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.59

$0.49 ฿16.39

55.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.37

$2.59 ฿86.6

3.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 53.3

$3.83 ฿128

-15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.39

$1.74 ฿58.1

-35.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.20

$1.43 ฿47.82

-27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.94

$1.53 ฿51.0

-1.31%

Eggs

$2.81 R 46.35

$2.17 ฿72.7

29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 141

$19.15 ฿640

-55.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 87.7

$3.30 ฿110

61.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 R 138

$11.14 ฿372

-24.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 36.04

$2.95 ฿98.5

-25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.68 ฿56.1

-11.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.04

$2.30 ฿76.8

-26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.74

$2.13 ฿71.3

-15.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.41

$1.53 ฿51.1

8.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.83

$1.36 ฿45.55

6.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.72

$1.12 ฿37.44

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.39

$0.55 ฿18.24

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 R 53.8

$4.26 ฿142

-23.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.4

$18.19 ฿608

-73.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.99

$1.74 ฿58.2

-27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 30.00

$2.79 ฿93.3

-34.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 R 18.17

$2.22 ฿74.1

-50.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.67 R 604

$22.06 ฿737

66.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 R 33.68

$2.91 ฿97.3

-29.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.25

$1.01 ฿33.79

-50.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R 139

$3.83 ฿128

120.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.38

$1.49 ฿49.85

-0.67%

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

$35.8K R 589.5K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

34.11%

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

$34.1K R 562.5K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

27.82%

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

$125 R 2,058

$99.4 ฿3,321

25.71%

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

$34.90 R 575

$11.28 ฿377

209.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.55 R 734

$17.36 ฿580

156.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.20 R 530

$52.3 ฿1,747

-38.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.27 R 383

$10.85 ฿362

114.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 R 177

$7.57 ฿253

41.88%

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

$177 R 2,924

$558 ฿18.7K

-68.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,046 R 99.6K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-47.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 R 1,193

$62.9 ฿2,102

15.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 R 631

$28.58 ฿955

33.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,806

$96.1 ฿3,213

14.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 R 1,574

$88.1 ฿2,943

8.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 R 9,859

$729 ฿24.4K

-17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 R 6,838

$460 ฿15.4K

-9.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 R 13.3K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-61.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 R 11.2K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-44.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$764 R 12.6K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-77.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 R 8,604

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-79.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,625 R 26.8K

$493 ฿16.5K

229.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

5.57

114.36%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 10.8% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 37.4% $76

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 36.1% $71

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 23.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 12.7% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 25.6% $14

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 14.8% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $598 in Port Elizabeth and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 230% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Port Elizabeth vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $268, with Port Elizabeth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

16:15 4:15 PM

5 h ahead of Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

79,308

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Phuket 8,940 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Port Elizabeth vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 230% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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: $598 in Port Elizabeth versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 in Port Elizabeth versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Port Elizabeth pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Port Elizabeth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port Elizabeth. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Port Elizabeth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Port Elizabeth 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Port Elizabeth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.