Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,900 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,563 in Port Elizabeth versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Port Elizabeth costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Port Elizabeth 10% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.37 R 183

$4.56 ฿151

149.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.17 R 709

$32.62 ฿1,082

35.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 R 98.3

$8.90 ฿295

-31.24%

Cappuccino

$2.13 R 34.16

$2.80 ฿93.0

-23.93%

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

$1.10 R 17.69

$0.88 ฿29.19

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R 12.91

$0.49 ฿16.23

63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 R 45.69

$2.39 ฿79.2

18.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 R 51.9

$3.71 ฿123

-12.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 R 19.56

$1.79 ฿59.3

-31.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.09 R 17.47

$1.44 ฿47.81

-24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.00

$1.58 ฿52.6

-5.70%

Eggs

$2.81 R 45.09

$2.13 ฿70.5

31.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.08 R 146

$19.92 ฿661

-54.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.56 R 89.4

$3.43 ฿114

62.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.62 R 138

$11.33 ฿376

-23.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.44

$2.95 ฿97.8

-27.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.62

$1.72 ฿57.1

-7.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R 26.95

$2.32 ฿77.1

-27.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.44

$2.08 ฿69.0

-14.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 R 28.50

$1.47 ฿48.77

20.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 R 22.80

$1.36 ฿45.05

4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 R 21.32

$1.10 ฿36.45

20.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 16.77

$0.57 ฿19.06

82.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 R 54.1

$4.27 ฿142

-21.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 R 77.5

$18.42 ฿611

-73.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R 21.03

$1.87 ฿62.1

-29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.05

$2.92 ฿96.9

-38.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 R 18.99

$2.22 ฿73.6

-46.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.87 R 592

$22.90 ฿759

61.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 R 34.93

$3.03 ฿101

-28.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 R 7.81

$1.07 ฿35.63

-54.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.56 R 138

$3.93 ฿130

117.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 R 22.68

$1.49 ฿49.49

-5.37%

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

$36.5K R 586.0K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

34.48%

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

$34.5K R 553.8K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

25.59%

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

$125 R 2,013

$103 ฿3,410

21.88%

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

$35.65 R 573

$10.99 ฿365

224.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.87 R 753

$17.51 ฿581

167.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.16 R 517

$53.5 ฿1,776

-39.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.02 R 386

$11.20 ฿371

114.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 R 175

$7.48 ฿248

45.99%

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

$185 R 2,974

$557 ฿18.5K

-66.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,340 R 101.8K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-46.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.1 R 1,158

$64.1 ฿2,125

12.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 R 614

$29.07 ฿964

31.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,841

$96.0 ฿3,183

19.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 R 1,604

$90.3 ฿2,997

10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 R 10.2K

$730 ฿24.2K

-13.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 R 6,896

$500 ฿16.6K

-14.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R 13.6K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-59.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 R 11.3K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-41.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$799 R 12.8K

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-77.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$545 R 8,755

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-78.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,641 R 26.4K

$503 ฿16.7K

226.10%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $633 in Port Elizabeth and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Elizabeth pays 226% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Port Elizabeth vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $273, with Port Elizabeth 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

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

Port Elizabeth is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 226% 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: $633 in Port Elizabeth versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $185 in Port Elizabeth versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,236 in Port Elizabeth versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Elizabeth but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Port Elizabeth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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