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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Port Shepstone versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,638 in Port Shepstone versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Port Shepstone versus $2,833 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Port Shepstone 24% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 R 132

$4.56 ฿150

80.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.09 R 641

$32.62 ฿1,073

22.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 R 93.7

$8.90 ฿293

-34.16%

Cappuccino

$2.79 R 44.60

$2.80 ฿92.2

-0.36%

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

$1.14 R 18.28

$0.88 ฿28.94

29.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.19

$0.49 ฿16.08

81.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R 40.22

$2.39 ฿78.5

5.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 R 44.75

$3.71 ฿122

-24.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 R 15.31

$1.79 ฿58.8

-46.37%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 R 10.92

$1.44 ฿47.40

-52.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.55

$1.58 ฿52.1

-22.78%

Eggs

$1.47 R 23.46

$2.13 ฿69.9

-30.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 R 118

$19.92 ฿655

-63.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 R 58.4

$3.43 ฿113

6.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R 120

$11.33 ฿372

-33.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.23 R 19.65

$2.95 ฿97.0

-58.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 R 12.37

$1.72 ฿56.6

-55.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.61 R 9.70

$2.32 ฿76.5

-73.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 R 25.51

$2.08 ฿68.4

-23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 R 9.68

$1.47 ฿48.34

-58.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 R 23.79

$1.36 ฿44.65

9.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R 15.65

$1.10 ฿36.13

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R 9.59

$0.57 ฿18.89

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 R 59.5

$4.27 ฿140

-12.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 R 78.2

$18.42 ฿606

-73.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R 24.12

$1.87 ฿61.5

-19.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R 32.05

$2.92 ฿96.1

-31.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 R 25.21

$2.22 ฿73.0

-28.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.23

$3.03 ฿99.6

-85.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R 12.41

$1.07 ฿35.32

-27.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.96 R 127

$3.93 ฿129

102.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 R 22.12

$1.49 ฿49.06

-7.38%

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

$37.5K R 599.1K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

38.09%

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

$33.3K R 531.9K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

21.15%

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

$123 R 1,966

$103 ฿3,380

19.59%

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

$18.90 R 302

$10.99 ฿361

71.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.89 R 606

$17.51 ฿576

116.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.56 R 537

$53.5 ฿1,760

-37.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$6.88 R 110

$7.48 ฿246

-8.02%

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

$342 R 5,467

$557 ฿18.3K

-38.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,371 R 117.9K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-37.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 849

$64.1 ฿2,107

-17.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.29 R 532

$29.07 ฿956

14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R 1,636

$96.0 ฿3,155

6.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R 1,462

$90.3 ฿2,970

1.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,382

$730 ฿24.0K

-45.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 R 6,136

$500 ฿16.4K

-23.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 R 12.0K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-64.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 R 12.2K

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-37.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$883 R 14.1K

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-75.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$653 R 10.5K

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-73.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,063 R 49.0K

$503 ฿16.6K

508.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.66

5.57

109.34%

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

Last update for Port Shepstone: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $399 in Port Shepstone and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Shepstone pays 508% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Port Shepstone vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $148 vs $273, with Port Shepstone 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 Shepstone vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Shepstone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 508% higher in Port Shepstone, 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: $399 in Port Shepstone versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $342 in Port Shepstone versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Shepstone – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,047 in Port Shepstone versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Shepstone but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Port Shepstone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Port Shepstone 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 Shepstone 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 Shepstone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.