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: $2,268 in Ashford versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,164 in Ashford versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,060 in Ashford versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Ashford is roughly 79% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashford is 69% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.98 £14.88

$4.70 ฿153

325.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.0 £70.8

$45.37 ฿1,482

109.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.13

$8.43 ฿275

29.42%

Cappuccino

$4.01 £2.99

$2.93 ฿95.6

36.86%

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

$2.86 £2.13

$0.69 ฿22.40

314.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.47

$0.37 ฿11.99

432.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.21 £4.62

$2.41 ฿78.6

157.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 £4.67

$3.72 ฿122

68.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$2.23 ฿72.9

-15.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 £1.09

$1.83 ฿59.8

-20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 £2.10

$2.17 ฿70.8

29.95%

Eggs

$3.75 £2.79

$2.21 ฿72.3

69.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.03 £4.50

$19.74 ฿645

-69.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.83 £5.09

$3.63 ฿119

88.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 £9.72

$13.53 ฿442

-3.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 £2.47

$3.28 ฿107

0.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.61 ฿52.6

22.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 £2.77

$2.41 ฿78.6

54.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 £2.64

$2.08 ฿68.1

70.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.53 ฿49.93

28.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 £1.57

$1.48 ฿48.36

41.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.90

$0.99 ฿32.29

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.09

$0.51 ฿16.67

186.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.80 £14.75

$4.41 ฿144

348.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 £7.10

$19.38 ฿633

-50.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.62

$1.78 ฿58.1

97.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 £3.16

$2.71 ฿88.6

56.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.34 £2.49

$1.37 ฿44.79

143.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 £66.9

$11.39 ฿372

687.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.91 £5.15

$3.02 ฿98.6

128.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 £1.16

$0.99 ฿32.48

57.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.3 £39.69

$14.10 ฿461

277.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.36 ฿44.51

43.38%

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

$24.9K £18.6K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-11.65%

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

$26.3K £19.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.98%

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

$252 £188

$122 ฿3,975

106.91%

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

$15.62 £11.64

$13.57 ฿443

15.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.76 £25.15

$18.31 ฿598

84.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 £44.25

$60.2 ฿1,967

-1.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$16.51 £12.30

$8.69 ฿284

89.99%

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

$2,296 £1,711

$693 ฿22.6K

231.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K £17.0K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

45.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 £65.8

$59.5 ฿1,944

48.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.50 £21.98

$34.77 ฿1,136

-15.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 £63.9

$115 ฿3,743

-25.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.6 £68.2

$83.3 ฿2,720

9.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 £963

$613 ฿20.0K

110.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 £741

$437 ฿14.3K

127.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 £1,390

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 £956

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-15.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,583 £4,905

$3,749 ฿122.5K

75.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,754 £3,542

$2,616 ฿85.4K

81.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,481 £1,849

$508 ฿16.6K

388.33%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,293 in Ashford and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 388% 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 $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $293, with Ashford cheaper for home cooking.

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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ashford pays 388% more on average, 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: $1,293 in Ashford versus $613 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 $45.00 versus $95.0 in Ashford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Ashford versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,268 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 79% less than in Ashford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.