Cost of Living Comparison Between Welkom and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Welkom and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $986 in Welkom versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,500 in Welkom versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,013 in Welkom versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Welkom costs roughly 20% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Welkom 26% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.39 R 141

$4.63 ฿151

81.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.72 R 331

$46.84 ฿1,532

-57.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.71 R 79.0

$8.84 ฿289

-46.72%

Cappuccino

$1.64 R 27.51

$3.00 ฿98.0

-45.33%

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

$0.43 R 7.28

$0.74 ฿24.25

-41.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 R 8.97

$0.37 ฿11.95

43.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.10 R 18.40

$2.44 ฿79.8

-54.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 R 23.14

$3.61 ฿118

-61.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 R 16.38

$2.26 ฿73.9

-56.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 R 16.65

$1.84 ฿60.1

-46.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R 21.04

$2.24 ฿73.4

-44.20%

Eggs

$1.73 R 29.00

$2.32 ฿75.7

-25.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.26 R 105

$19.67 ฿643

-68.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 R 73.4

$3.65 ฿119

20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.42 R 74.1

$13.10 ฿428

-66.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.96

$3.39 ฿111

-59.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.77

$1.64 ฿53.7

-2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.59

$2.41 ฿79.0

-34.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 R 18.29

$2.03 ฿66.4

-46.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R 18.30

$1.56 ฿50.9

-30.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R 18.26

$1.50 ฿48.94

-27.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 R 14.48

$1.02 ฿33.50

-15.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R 18.62

$0.49 ฿16.00

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 R 36.65

$4.45 ฿145

-50.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.38 R 39.91

$18.88 ฿617

-87.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 R 24.17

$1.78 ฿58.1

-19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.92

$2.75 ฿90.1

-39.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 R 27.93

$1.40 ฿45.81

19.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 R 22.84

$3.12 ฿102

-56.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 R 22.97

$1.00 ฿32.67

37.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 R 53.0

$14.09 ฿461

-77.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.46

$1.35 ฿44.19

-14.07%

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

$19.3K R 323.0K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-29.15%

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

$25.7K R 431.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.91%

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

$122 R 2,049

$125 ฿4,087

-2.23%

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

$37.77 R 633

$13.57 ฿444

178.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.85 R 635

$18.52 ฿606

104.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.33 R 525

$61.5 ฿2,010

-49.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 R 124

$9.19 ฿300

-19.80%

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

$196 R 3,295

$698 ฿22.8K

-71.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,373 R 73.3K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-71.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 R 864

$57.8 ฿1,889

-10.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.76 R 549

$35.24 ฿1,152

-7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 R 1,485

$113 ฿3,699

-21.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 R 1,486

$86.4 ฿2,825

2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 R 6,043

$616 ฿20.1K

-41.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 R 5,703

$446 ฿14.6K

-23.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$687 R 11.5K

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-66.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 R 11.5K

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-54.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$682 R 11.4K

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-81.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$699 R 11.7K

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-73.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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 Welkom: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Welkom and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Welkom vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $292 per month, with Welkom 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

Welkom vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Welkom is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,480 in Welkom and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $360 in Welkom versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $196 in Welkom versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Welkom – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $986 in Welkom versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Welkom but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Welkom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Welkom 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, Welkom 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 Welkom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.