Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset West and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset West and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,186 in Somerset West versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,965 in Somerset West versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,744 in Somerset West versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Somerset West costs roughly 6% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Somerset West 14% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.27 R 196

$4.66 ฿153

163.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.27 R 756

$32.22 ฿1,059

46.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 R 91.8

$8.68 ฿285

-33.87%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R 34.00

$2.90 ฿95.3

-26.90%

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

$1.07 R 17.07

$0.84 ฿27.75

27.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.23

$0.49 ฿16.08

93.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 R 43.73

$2.48 ฿81.6

10.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 R 55.4

$3.73 ฿123

-7.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R 16.81

$1.89 ฿62.0

-44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 R 16.50

$1.41 ฿46.31

-26.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 R 34.16

$1.62 ฿53.3

31.48%

Eggs

$2.34 R 37.44

$2.24 ฿73.7

4.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 R 143

$19.84 ฿652

-54.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 R 87.0

$3.48 ฿114

56.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.71 R 155

$11.37 ฿374

-14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 R 30.83

$2.90 ฿95.3

-33.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 R 31.86

$1.72 ฿56.7

15.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 R 27.34

$2.27 ฿74.7

-24.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R 27.58

$2.13 ฿70.1

-19.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.09

$1.47 ฿48.49

6.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.63

$1.42 ฿46.69

8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 R 22.10

$1.10 ฿36.08

25.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 R 16.97

$0.60 ฿19.66

76.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 R 55.4

$4.31 ฿142

-19.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 R 102

$18.60 ฿612

-65.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 R 22.97

$1.80 ฿59.2

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 R 29.37

$2.97 ฿97.5

-38.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 R 19.31

$2.25 ฿73.8

-46.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 R 980

$23.49 ฿772

160.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.34

$3.10 ฿102

-79.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 R 25.58

$1.08 ฿35.39

48.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 R 80.9

$3.87 ฿127

30.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 R 22.99

$1.43 ฿46.93

0.70%

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

$30.3K R 484.3K

$27.8K ฿913.6K

8.92%

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

$30.0K R 480.2K

$27.0K ฿887.2K

11.23%

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

$86.2 R 1,379

$105 ฿3,446

-17.77%

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

$31.45 R 503

$11.39 ฿375

176.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.32 R 645

$17.54 ฿577

129.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.98 R 752

$54.3 ฿1,787

-13.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.11 R 178

$11.44 ฿376

-2.88%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 R 119

$7.78 ฿256

-4.37%

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

$265 R 4,239

$576 ฿19.0K

-54.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,814 R 61.0K

$11.6K ฿380.8K

-67.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.05 R 513

$63.6 ฿2,092

-49.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.89 R 510

$29.10 ฿957

9.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.5 R 1,160

$96.2 ฿3,164

-24.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.7 R 955

$90.0 ฿2,960

-33.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 R 10.7K

$733 ฿24.1K

-8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 R 6,984

$501 ฿16.5K

-12.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 R 21.9K

$2,126 ฿69.9K

-35.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$978 R 15.6K

$1,252 ฿41.2K

-21.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,316 R 21.1K

$3,534 ฿116.2K

-62.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$921 R 14.7K

$2,622 ฿86.2K

-64.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,476 R 23.6K

$508 ฿16.7K

190.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

5.57

81.69%

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

Last update for Somerset West: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $670 in Somerset West and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerset West pays 191% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Somerset West vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $275, with Somerset West 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

Somerset West vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Somerset West is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 191% higher in Somerset West, 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: $670 in Somerset West versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $265 in Somerset West versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,186 in Somerset West versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Somerset West but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Somerset West the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Somerset West 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, Somerset West 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 Somerset West gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.