Cost of Living Comparison Between Bath and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bath and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,903 in Bath versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Bath versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,456 in Bath versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Bath is roughly 132% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bath is 117% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.57 £15.30

$4.55 ฿153

352.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.8

$46.18 ฿1,554

117.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 £8.19

$8.84 ฿298

24.55%

Cappuccino

$4.95 £3.68

$3.06 ฿103

61.76%

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

$2.56 £1.90

$0.73 ฿24.42

250.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.35

$0.40 ฿13.40

352.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 £5.70

$2.43 ฿81.8

215.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 £5.00

$3.78 ฿127

77.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.26 ฿76.0

-17.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.81 ฿60.9

-9.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$2.25 ฿75.8

24.89%

Eggs

$5.49 £4.08

$2.25 ฿75.6

144.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 £9.09

$19.51 ฿656

-37.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.72 £7.97

$3.65 ฿123

193.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 £10.45

$13.05 ฿439

7.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 £3.01

$3.23 ฿109

25.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.62 ฿54.4

-3.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$2.38 ฿80.2

34.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 £3.48

$2.03 ฿68.2

130.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.53 ฿51.6

9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.50 ฿50.5

23.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$0.98 ฿32.93

27.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.37

$0.52 ฿17.40

253.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.26 £14.33

$4.44 ฿149

333.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.31

$18.32 ฿616

-38.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.23 £2.40

$1.86 ฿62.7

73.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.31

$2.68 ฿90.2

15.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$1.41 ฿47.49

89.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 £87.7

$11.70 ฿394

907.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 £3.99

$3.11 ฿105

72.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.04 ฿35.08

67.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.61 £20.54

$14.11 ฿475

95.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.31 ฿44.13

49.62%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

36.99%

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

$43.4K £32.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

30.55%

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

$353 £262

$122 ฿4,120

188.19%

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

$18.58 £13.82

$13.59 ฿457

36.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.04 £34.99

$18.70 ฿629

151.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.87 £36.35

$60.5 ฿2,035

-19.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 £8.57

$16.98 ฿572

-32.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 £10.18

$9.07 ฿305

50.94%

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

$1,750 £1,301

$706 ฿23.8K

147.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K £12.1K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

3.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 £62.8

$58.6 ฿1,970

44.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.86 £35.60

$35.36 ฿1,190

35.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 £68.6

$115 ฿3,885

-20.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 £65.2

$83.7 ฿2,818

4.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 £1,255

$626 ฿21.1K

169.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 £1,038

$445 ฿15.0K

213.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,409 £2,536

$2,040 ฿68.7K

67.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,394 £1,781

$1,492 ฿50.2K

60.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.1K £7,478

$3,483 ฿117.2K

188.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,799 £5,057

$2,577 ฿86.7K

163.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,580 £2,663

$500 ฿16.8K

616.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

5.33

7.69%

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

Last update for Bath: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,688 in Bath and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bath pays 616% 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: $101 in Bath vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 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

Bath vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 132% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 616% higher in Bath, 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: $1,688 in Bath versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,903 per month in Bath versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 132% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 908% less than in Bath. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,903 in Bath, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bath. 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 Bath, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Bath 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 132% less than in Bath. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.