Cost of Living Comparison Between South Africa and Thailand 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Thailand is 12.5% higher than in South Africa (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Thailand is 12.1% higher than in South Africa | |
| Rent Prices in Thailand are 10.7% higher than in South Africa | |
| Restaurant Prices in Thailand are 23.6% lower than in South Africa | |
| Groceries Prices in Thailand are 47.1% higher than in South Africa | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Thailand is 54.2% lower than in South Africa | |
Restaurants | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant |
160.00 R (286.89 ฿) |
55.77 R (100.00 ฿) |
-65.1 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course |
700.00 R (1,255.15 ฿) |
501.93 R (900.00 ฿) |
-28.3 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) |
90.00 R (161.38 ฿) |
121.81 R (218.41 ฿) |
+35.3 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) |
40.00 R (71.72 ฿) |
39.04 R (70.00 ฿) |
-2.4 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
45.00 R (80.69 ฿) |
66.92 R (120.00 ฿) |
+48.7 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) |
35.79 R (64.17 ฿) |
39.43 R (70.71 ฿) |
+10.2 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) |
17.58 R (31.53 ฿) |
12.56 R (22.52 ฿) |
-28.6 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) |
13.64 R (24.45 ฿) |
6.10 R (10.94 ฿) |
-55.3 % |
Markets | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) |
73.68 R (132.11 ฿) |
127.91 R (229.35 ฿) |
+73.6 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) |
16.08 R (28.82 ฿) |
22.60 R (40.53 ฿) |
+40.6 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) |
12.79 R (22.93 ฿) |
10.64 R (19.08 ฿) |
-16.8 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) |
40.63 R (72.86 ฿) |
38.94 R (69.82 ฿) |
-4.2 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) |
61.77 R (110.75 ฿) |
145.02 R (260.04 ฿) |
+134.8 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) |
37.05 R (66.44 ฿) |
23.74 R (42.58 ฿) |
-35.9 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) |
54.56 R (97.83 ฿) |
86.02 R (154.24 ฿) |
+57.7 % |
| Apples (1 lb) |
12.35 R (22.15 ฿) |
24.60 R (44.12 ฿) |
+99.2 % |
| Banana (1 lb) |
11.54 R (20.69 ฿) |
11.10 R (19.90 ฿) |
-3.8 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) |
11.98 R (21.49 ฿) |
16.86 R (30.24 ฿) |
+40.7 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) |
12.31 R (22.08 ฿) |
13.34 R (23.92 ฿) |
+8.3 % |
| Potato (1 lb) |
9.93 R (17.81 ฿) |
12.56 R (22.52 ฿) |
+26.5 % |
| Onion (1 lb) |
10.50 R (18.84 ฿) |
10.59 R (18.98 ฿) |
+0.8 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) |
18.63 R (33.40 ฿) |
20.72 R (37.15 ฿) |
+11.2 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) |
16.93 R (30.35 ฿) |
9.27 R (16.62 ฿) |
-45.2 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) |
85.00 R (152.41 ฿) |
334.62 R (600.00 ฿) |
+293.7 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) |
23.84 R (42.75 ฿) |
32.37 R (58.04 ฿) |
+35.8 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) |
30.53 R (54.75 ฿) |
54.27 R (97.30 ฿) |
+77.7 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) |
52.00 R (93.24 ฿) |
80.87 R (145.00 ฿) |
+55.5 % |
Transportation | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) |
30.00 R (53.79 ฿) |
13.94 R (25.00 ฿) |
-53.5 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) |
800.00 R (1,434.46 ฿) |
603.99 R (1,083.00 ฿) |
-24.5 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) |
20.00 R (35.86 ฿) |
19.52 R (35.00 ฿) |
-2.4 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) |
32.19 R (57.71 ฿) |
35.90 R (64.37 ฿) |
+11.5 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) |
85.00 R (152.41 ฿) |
111.54 R (200.00 ฿) |
+31.2 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) |
86.68 R (155.42 ฿) |
87.73 R (157.30 ฿) |
+1.2 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) |
370,000.00 R (663,438.39 ฿) |
506,113.31 R (907,500.00 ฿) |
+36.8 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) |
421,858.58 R (756,424.80 ฿) |
513,274.04 R (920,339.74 ฿) |
+21.7 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment |
2,005.75 R (3,596.46 ฿) |
1,494.05 R (2,678.94 ฿) |
-25.5 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data |
568.56 R (1,019.48 ฿) |
249.70 R (447.74 ฿) |
-56.1 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) |
733.92 R (1,315.97 ฿) |
321.89 R (577.18 ฿) |
-56.1 % |
Sports And Leisure | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult |
564.78 R (1,012.70 ฿) |
909.99 R (1,631.67 ฿) |
+61.1 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) |
177.53 R (318.33 ฿) |
179.28 R (321.46 ฿) |
+1.0 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat |
120.00 R (215.17 ฿) |
136.64 R (245.00 ฿) |
+13.9 % |
Childcare | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child |
3,417.32 R (6,127.51 ฿) |
7,360.54 R (13,198.01 ฿) |
+115.4 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child |
80,773.66 R (144,833.37 ฿) |
234,837.98 R (421,082.51 ฿) |
+190.7 % |
Clothing And Shoes | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) |
875.17 R (1,569.25 ฿) |
871.46 R (1,562.59 ฿) |
-0.4 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) |
551.60 R (989.05 ฿) |
615.17 R (1,103.04 ฿) |
+11.5 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) |
1,642.40 R (2,944.95 ฿) |
1,710.21 R (3,066.54 ฿) |
+4.1 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes |
1,418.43 R (2,543.36 ฿) |
1,363.78 R (2,445.36 ฿) |
-3.9 % |
Rent Per Month | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre |
8,140.90 R (14,597.26 ฿) |
9,015.00 R (16,164.59 ฿) |
+10.7 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre |
6,582.34 R (11,802.64 ฿) |
5,013.82 R (8,990.17 ฿) |
-23.8 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre |
16,237.06 R (29,114.30 ฿) |
22,089.54 R (39,608.23 ฿) |
+36.0 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre |
12,838.67 R (23,020.73 ฿) |
12,366.09 R (22,173.36 ฿) |
-3.7 % |
Buy Apartment Price | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre |
1,720.85 R (3,085.62 ฿) |
6,878.41 R (12,333.52 ฿) |
+299.7 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre |
1,292.20 R (2,317.02 ฿) |
3,664.14 R (6,570.09 ฿) |
+183.6 % |
Salaries And Financing | South Africa Edit |
Thailand Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) |
23,504.88 R (42,146.05 ฿) |
12,078.20 R (21,657.13 ฿) |
-48.6 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 11.55 | 5.75 | -50.2 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | April 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 685 | 583 |
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