Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashford and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashford and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,269 in Ashford versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,205 in Ashford versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,141 in Ashford versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Ashford is roughly 82% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashford is 70% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 £14.89

$4.55 ฿153

339.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 £70.5

$46.18 ฿1,553

104.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.12

$8.84 ฿297

23.42%

Cappuccino

$4.10 £3.05

$3.06 ฿103

33.99%

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

$2.86 £2.13

$0.73 ฿24.40

291.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.52

$0.40 ฿13.39

410.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.27 £4.67

$2.43 ฿81.8

158.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 £4.58

$3.78 ฿127

62.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$2.26 ฿76.0

-15.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.81 ฿60.9

-19.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 £2.08

$2.25 ฿75.8

24.00%

Eggs

$3.71 £2.76

$2.25 ฿75.5

64.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 £4.67

$19.51 ฿656

-67.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.81 £5.07

$3.65 ฿123

86.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 £9.74

$13.05 ฿439

0.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$3.23 ฿109

-1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.62 ฿54.4

22.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 £2.80

$2.38 ฿80.1

57.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.68

$2.03 ฿68.1

76.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.53 ฿51.6

26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.50 ฿50.5

38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$0.98 ฿32.91

23.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.52 ฿17.39

192.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.67 £14.64

$4.44 ฿149

343.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 £6.90

$18.32 ฿616

-49.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 £2.64

$1.86 ฿62.7

90.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 £3.10

$2.68 ฿90.1

55.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.40 £2.53

$1.41 ฿47.46

141.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.6

$11.70 ฿393

653.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 £5.08

$3.11 ฿105

119.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.04 ฿35.06

52.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$54.3 £40.41

$14.11 ฿474

284.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.31 ฿44.10

43.51%

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

$24.1K £17.9K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-13.49%

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

$27.0K £20.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-18.77%

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

$254 £189

$122 ฿4,118

107.84%

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

$15.60 £11.61

$13.59 ฿457

14.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.17 £25.44

$18.70 ฿629

82.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 £43.48

$60.5 ฿2,034

-3.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$16.36 £12.18

$9.07 ฿305

80.37%

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

$2,230 £1,660

$706 ฿23.8K

215.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K £17.4K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

47.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.7 £63.8

$58.6 ฿1,969

46.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.25 £21.77

$35.36 ฿1,189

-17.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 £64.6

$115 ฿3,883

-24.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 £68.1

$83.7 ฿2,816

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 £952

$626 ฿21.0K

104.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £752

$445 ฿15.0K

127.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 £1,366

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-10.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 £956

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-13.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,378 £4,749

$3,483 ฿117.1K

83.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,798 £3,572

$2,577 ฿86.7K

86.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,508 £1,867

$500 ฿16.8K

401.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.33

3.94%

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

Last update for Ashford: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,279 in Ashford and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 402% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $95.0 in Ashford vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $289 per month, with Phuket 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

Ashford vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 402% higher in Ashford, 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: $1,279 in Ashford versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $95.0 in Ashford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,269 per month in Ashford versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,269 in Ashford, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ashford. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ashford, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ashford 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Ashford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.