Cost of Living Comparison Between Stilbaai and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Stilbaai and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $803 in Stilbaai versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,319 in Stilbaai versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,835 in Stilbaai versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Stilbaai costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Stilbaai 40% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.44 R 90.0

$4.55 ฿153

19.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.15 R 747

$46.18 ฿1,554

-2.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 R 75.5

$8.84 ฿298

-48.42%

Cappuccino

$1.37 R 22.74

$3.06 ฿103

-55.23%

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

$0.54 R 8.92

$0.73 ฿24.42

-26.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 R 8.92

$0.40 ฿13.40

35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 R 46.63

$2.43 ฿81.8

16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 R 27.17

$3.78 ฿127

-56.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 R 12.37

$2.26 ฿76.0

-66.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 R 9.02

$1.81 ฿60.9

-70.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.32

$2.25 ฿75.8

-24.00%

Eggs

$2.46 R 40.67

$2.25 ฿75.6

9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.54 R 75.2

$19.51 ฿656

-76.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.44 R 73.6

$3.65 ฿123

21.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.34 R 121

$13.05 ฿439

-43.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.87

$3.23 ฿109

-62.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 R 13.26

$1.62 ฿54.4

-50.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 R 18.10

$2.38 ฿80.2

-54.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 R 19.82

$2.03 ฿68.2

-40.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.36 R 5.89

$1.53 ฿51.6

-76.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.52

$1.50 ฿50.5

-17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 R 14.43

$0.98 ฿32.93

-11.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R 9.64

$0.52 ฿17.40

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.06 R 50.7

$4.44 ฿149

-31.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.81 R 79.6

$18.32 ฿616

-73.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.49

$1.86 ฿62.7

-56.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 R 18.10

$2.68 ฿90.2

-59.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 27.00

$1.41 ฿47.49

15.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 R 23.53

$3.11 ฿105

-54.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 R 4.29

$1.04 ฿35.08

-75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 R 76.3

$14.11 ฿475

-67.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.65

$1.31 ฿44.13

-4.58%

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

$16.5K R 273.6K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-40.58%

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

$16.9K R 280.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-49.03%

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

$51.6 R 854

$122 ฿4,120

-57.85%

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

$33.06 R 547

$13.59 ฿457

143.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 R 470

$18.70 ฿629

51.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 R 517

$60.5 ฿2,035

-48.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 R 84.0

$9.07 ฿305

-44.10%

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

$217 R 3,588

$706 ฿23.8K

-69.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,103 R 18.3K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-93.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.23 R 467

$58.6 ฿1,970

-51.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.93 R 280

$35.36 ฿1,190

-52.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.3 R 932

$115 ฿3,885

-51.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.8 R 924

$83.7 ฿2,818

-33.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 R 6,114

$626 ฿21.1K

-40.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 R 5,606

$445 ฿15.0K

-23.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 R 11.2K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-66.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 R 11.6K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-53.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$885 R 14.7K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-74.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$662 R 11.0K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-74.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 R 39.8K

$500 ฿16.8K

380.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

5.33

120.83%

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

Last update for Stilbaai: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $369 in Stilbaai and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stilbaai pays 381% 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 Stilbaai vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $139 vs $289 per month, with Stilbaai 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

Stilbaai vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stilbaai is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 381% higher in Stilbaai, 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: $369 in Stilbaai versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in Stilbaai versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Stilbaai – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $803 in Stilbaai versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stilbaai but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Stilbaai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Stilbaai 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, Stilbaai 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 Stilbaai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.