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: $1,100 in Welkom versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,780 in Welkom versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,459 in Welkom versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Welkom costs roughly 11% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Welkom 20% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.51 R 154

$4.41 ฿147

115.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.79 R 354

$32.26 ฿1,074

-32.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.65 R 91.8

$8.93 ฿297

-36.73%

Cappuccino

$1.79 R 29.13

$2.90 ฿96.4

-38.28%

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

$0.50 R 8.14

$0.88 ฿29.30

-43.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R 10.47

$0.48 ฿16.01

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 R 20.58

$2.35 ฿78.3

-45.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 25.36

$3.72 ฿124

-58.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R 17.34

$1.87 ฿62.1

-42.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.23

$1.47 ฿48.81

-27.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 R 22.81

$1.55 ฿51.7

-9.68%

Eggs

$1.89 R 30.75

$2.10 ฿70.0

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.62 R 108

$19.59 ฿652

-66.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.81 R 78.1

$3.42 ฿114

40.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.86 R 79.0

$11.38 ฿379

-57.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.32

$2.98 ฿99.3

-47.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.59

$1.68 ฿56.1

-2.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 R 28.87

$2.21 ฿73.5

-19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 R 19.82

$2.16 ฿72.0

-43.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.27

$1.52 ฿50.8

-21.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.07

$1.34 ฿44.55

-12.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 R 15.43

$1.13 ฿37.57

-15.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R 21.44

$0.55 ฿18.19

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 R 40.80

$4.26 ฿142

-41.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.43 R 39.45

$19.09 ฿635

-87.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 R 25.38

$1.78 ฿59.2

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.41

$2.78 ฿92.6

-34.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R 15.20

$2.23 ฿74.2

-57.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.25

$3.03 ฿101

-89.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R 12.50

$1.02 ฿34.06

-24.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 R 240

$3.89 ฿130

278.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.23

$1.49 ฿49.63

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

$36.5K R 593.5K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

37.44%

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

$34.6K R 562.5K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

28.09%

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

$155 R 2,517

$102 ฿3,411

51.18%

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

$38.01 R 617

$11.33 ฿377

235.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.02 R 601

$17.40 ฿579

112.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.36 R 705

$52.1 ฿1,734

-16.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 R 119

$7.69 ฿256

-4.94%

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

$263 R 4,265

$561 ฿18.7K

-53.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,894 R 128.2K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-31.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 R 868

$63.0 ฿2,098

-15.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.86 R 534

$29.52 ฿983

11.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 R 1,522

$98.0 ฿3,263

-4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 R 1,396

$88.5 ฿2,946

-2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 R 4,532

$738 ฿24.6K

-62.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 R 6,400

$482 ฿16.1K

-18.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 R 14.8K

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-56.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 R 17.1K

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-14.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

5.57

103.59%

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

Last update for Welkom: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Welkom and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $22.00 in Welkom vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $274 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,651 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: $279 in Welkom versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Welkom 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 Welkom – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,100 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 12% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.