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: $800 in Rustenburg versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,341 in Rustenburg versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,882 in Rustenburg versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Rustenburg costs roughly 35% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rustenburg 42% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.30 R 103

$4.41 ฿147

42.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.97 R 786

$32.26 ฿1,077

48.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 R 105

$8.93 ฿298

-28.11%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R 34.68

$2.90 ฿96.6

-26.90%

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

$0.90 R 14.71

$0.88 ฿29.38

2.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 R 7.83

$0.48 ฿16.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 R 25.97

$2.35 ฿78.5

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 R 36.15

$3.72 ฿124

-40.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.18

$1.87 ฿62.3

-37.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.59

$1.47 ฿48.94

-31.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.52

$1.55 ฿51.8

16.13%

Eggs

$2.77 R 45.37

$2.10 ฿70.1

31.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 R 125

$19.59 ฿654

-61.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 R 80.6

$3.42 ฿114

43.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.32 R 104

$11.38 ฿380

-44.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.72

$2.98 ฿99.6

-36.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.23

$1.68 ฿56.2

-1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.39

$2.21 ฿73.7

-19.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.70

$2.16 ฿72.1

-47.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.25

$1.52 ฿50.9

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R 18.20

$1.34 ฿44.67

-17.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.27

$1.13 ฿37.67

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.67

$0.55 ฿18.24

74.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 R 52.7

$4.26 ฿142

-24.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 R 99.7

$19.09 ฿637

-68.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R 10.37

$1.78 ฿59.4

-64.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 14.89

$2.78 ฿92.9

-67.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R 15.42

$3.03 ฿101

-68.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.56

$1.02 ฿34.15

-6.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.05 R 247

$3.89 ฿130

286.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.95

$1.49 ฿49.77

-2.01%

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

$29.5K R 482.5K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

10.83%

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

$27.3K R 447.2K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

1.01%

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

$76.2 R 1,249

$102 ฿3,420

-25.60%

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

$13.75 R 225

$11.33 ฿378

21.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.01 R 606

$17.40 ฿581

112.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.91 R 359

$52.1 ฿1,738

-57.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.05 R 99.2

$11.07 ฿370

-45.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 R 81.3

$7.69 ฿257

-35.50%

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

$112 R 1,831

$561 ฿18.7K

-80.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,636 R 92.3K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-51.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.42 R 711

$63.0 ฿2,104

-31.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.21 R 773

$29.52 ฿986

59.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,808

$98.0 ฿3,272

12.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.9 R 916

$88.5 ฿2,954

-36.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 R 5,461

$738 ฿24.6K

-54.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 R 4,090

$482 ฿16.1K

-48.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 R 12.3K

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,525

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-57.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 R 18.3K

$494 ฿16.5K

126.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.9

5.57

77.74%

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

Last update for Rustenburg: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $333 in Rustenburg and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 126% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Rustenburg vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $274, with Rustenburg 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

Rustenburg vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rustenburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 126% 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: $333 in Rustenburg versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Rustenburg versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rustenburg – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $800 in Rustenburg versus $1,232 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 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.