Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustenburg and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustenburg and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $979 in Rustenburg versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,499 in Rustenburg versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,018 in Rustenburg versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Rustenburg costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rustenburg 26% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.06 R 182

$4.48 ฿150

146.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.98 R 740

$45.59 ฿1,521

-1.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.94 R 64.9

$8.76 ฿292

-55.02%

Cappuccino

$1.95 R 32.03

$2.97 ฿99.0

-34.34%

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

$0.90 R 14.75

$0.69 ฿22.90

30.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 R 7.45

$0.39 ฿13.04

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.44 R 23.63

$2.53 ฿84.4

-43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R 33.39

$3.75 ฿125

-45.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R 17.53

$2.15 ฿71.6

-50.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 R 14.52

$1.82 ฿60.6

-51.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.16

$2.18 ฿72.9

-21.56%

Eggs

$1.92 R 31.64

$2.25 ฿75.0

-14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.66 R 93.1

$20.00 ฿667

-71.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 R 70.6

$3.63 ฿121

18.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 R 110

$13.56 ฿452

-50.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.54

$3.24 ฿108

-50.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.64 ฿54.6

-18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 R 21.29

$2.33 ฿77.8

-44.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.60

$2.07 ฿69.1

-24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 R 12.98

$1.55 ฿51.6

-49.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 R 12.49

$1.46 ฿48.54

-47.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 17.33

$0.98 ฿32.86

7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.65

$0.48 ฿16.09

97.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R 41.05

$4.35 ฿145

-42.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 R 74.7

$18.57 ฿620

-75.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.80

$1.86 ฿61.9

-38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 R 18.09

$2.65 ฿88.6

-58.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 R 18.82

$1.42 ฿47.28

-19.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.51 R 749

$11.57 ฿386

293.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R 15.42

$3.17 ฿106

-70.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.83

$1.03 ฿34.41

-6.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 R 65.0

$13.89 ฿463

-71.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R 19.97

$1.34 ฿44.84

-9.70%

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

$22.6K R 371.4K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-18.82%

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

$23.6K R 388.8K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-29.24%

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

$68.9 R 1,133

$123 ฿4,105

-44.05%

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

$12.47 R 205

$13.77 ฿459

-9.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.62 R 718

$18.33 ฿611

137.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.59 R 388

$60.7 ฿2,025

-61.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.71 R 94.0

$17.16 ฿573

-66.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.45 R 73.3

$8.87 ฿296

-49.83%

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

$102 R 1,685

$688 ฿22.9K

-85.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,010 R 82.5K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-68.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 R 824

$59.3 ฿1,978

-15.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.16 R 546

$34.69 ฿1,157

-4.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 R 1,453

$115 ฿3,843

-23.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 R 1,313

$83.8 ฿2,794

-4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 R 4,979

$621 ฿20.7K

-51.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 R 5,526

$446 ฿14.9K

-24.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$665 R 10.9K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-67.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$565 R 9,300

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-62.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,309 R 21.6K

$494 ฿16.5K

165.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.9

5.33

85.74%

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

Last update for Rustenburg: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $302 in Rustenburg and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 165% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Rustenburg vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $158 vs $291 per month, with Rustenburg 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

Rustenburg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rustenburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 165% higher in Rustenburg, 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: $302 in Rustenburg versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $102 in Rustenburg versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $979 in Rustenburg versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rustenburg but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rustenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rustenburg 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, Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.