Cost of Living Comparison Between Secunda and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Secunda and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $889 in Secunda versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,328 in Secunda versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,767 in Secunda versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Secunda costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Secunda 33% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.48 R 90.3

$4.48 ฿150

22.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.40 R 468

$45.59 ฿1,521

-37.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.65 R 76.6

$8.76 ฿292

-46.92%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.40

$2.97 ฿99.0

-31.65%

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

$0.80 R 13.13

$0.69 ฿22.90

15.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 R 7.75

$0.39 ฿13.04

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 R 16.82

$2.53 ฿84.4

-59.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 R 19.68

$3.75 ฿125

-68.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.59

$2.15 ฿71.6

-41.86%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 R 16.22

$1.82 ฿60.6

-45.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.82

$2.18 ฿72.9

-25.23%

Eggs

$2.40 R 39.59

$2.25 ฿75.0

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 R 126

$20.00 ฿667

-61.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.63 R 76.2

$3.63 ฿121

27.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.53 R 107

$13.56 ฿452

-51.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.96

$3.24 ฿108

-49.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.61

$1.64 ฿54.6

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.25

$2.33 ฿77.8

-31.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.01

$2.07 ฿69.1

-20.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.46

$1.55 ฿51.6

-12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R 19.05

$1.46 ฿48.54

-20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 18.09

$0.98 ฿32.86

12.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R 19.19

$0.48 ฿16.09

143.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R 45.87

$4.35 ฿145

-35.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.94 R 81.3

$18.57 ฿620

-73.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 24.97

$1.86 ฿61.9

-18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.72

$2.65 ฿88.6

-31.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 R 26.61

$1.42 ฿47.28

14.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 R 23.67

$3.17 ฿106

-54.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 R 21.91

$1.03 ฿34.41

29.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 R 52.1

$13.89 ฿463

-77.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R 20.79

$1.34 ฿44.84

-5.97%

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

$19.2K R 315.8K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-30.97%

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

$26.4K R 434.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-21.01%

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

$84.0 R 1,382

$123 ฿4,105

-31.77%

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

$37.56 R 618

$13.77 ฿459

172.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.63 R 619

$18.33 ฿611

105.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.86 R 278

$60.7 ฿2,025

-72.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.04 R 182

$17.16 ฿573

-35.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.64 R 109

$8.87 ฿296

-25.14%

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

$169 R 2,787

$688 ฿22.9K

-75.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,279 R 70.4K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-72.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 R 834

$59.3 ฿1,978

-14.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.47 R 535

$34.69 ฿1,157

-6.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 R 1,459

$115 ฿3,843

-23.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 R 1,469

$83.8 ฿2,794

6.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 R 5,504

$621 ฿20.7K

-46.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 R 5,114

$446 ฿14.9K

-30.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 R 11.4K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-65.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 R 7,907

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-67.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$942 R 15.5K

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-72.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$640 R 10.5K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-74.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,430 R 23.5K

$494 ฿16.5K

189.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

5.33

119.32%

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

Last update for Secunda: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $334 in Secunda and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Secunda pays 190% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Secunda vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $291 per month, with Secunda 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

Secunda vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Secunda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 190% higher in Secunda, 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: $334 in Secunda versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $169 in Secunda versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Secunda – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $889 in Secunda versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Secunda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Secunda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Secunda 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, Secunda 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 Secunda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.