Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bedford and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,097 in Bedford, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bedford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,097
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bedford and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bedford and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,097 per month in Bedford vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Bedford $2,097
  • Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $3,291 per month in Bedford vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Bedford $3,291
  • Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $4,486 per month in Bedford vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Bedford $4,486
  • Phuket $2,867

Bedford costs about 74% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bedford sits 55% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bedford
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.10 £15.08
$4.58 ฿153
338.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.6 £65.0
$32.48 ฿1,086
166.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 £7.99
$8.55 ฿286
24.56%
Cappuccino
$4.59 £3.44
$2.72 ฿91.0
68.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 £1.52
$0.94 ฿31.25
115.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21 £0.91
$0.49 ฿16.39
146.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.45 £4.84
$2.59 ฿86.6
149.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.84 £4.38
$3.83 ฿128
52.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bedford
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 £1.28
$1.74 ฿58.1
-2.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 £1.10
$1.43 ฿47.82
2.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.53 ฿51.0
9.80%
Eggs
$3.80 £2.85
$2.17 ฿72.7
75.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.09 £6.82
$19.15 ฿640
-52.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.96 £6.72
$3.30 ฿110
171.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.62 £9.47
$11.14 ฿372
13.29%
Apples (1kg)
$3.26 £2.44
$2.95 ฿98.5
10.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.30 £0.98
$1.68 ฿56.1
-22.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.47 £1.85
$2.30 ฿76.8
7.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 £2.40
$2.13 ฿71.3
50.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.32 £0.99
$1.53 ฿51.1
-13.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.32 £0.99
$1.36 ฿45.55
-2.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 £0.77
$1.12 ฿37.44
-8.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 £0.97
$0.55 ฿18.24
136.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.05 £17.29
$4.26 ฿142
441.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.65 £7.99
$18.19 ฿608
-41.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.58 £1.94
$1.74 ฿58.2
48.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 £1.77
$2.79 ฿93.3
-15.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Bedford
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.56 £1.92
$2.22 ฿74.1
15.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$22.06 ฿737
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.99 £3.74
$2.91 ฿97.3
71.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 £1.07
$1.01 ฿33.79
41.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.92 £17.95
$3.83 ฿128
524.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.92 £1.44
$1.49 ฿49.85
28.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.5K £28.1K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
40.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.4K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
51.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bedford
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$316 £237
$99.4 ฿3,321
218.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.63 £13.22
$11.28 ฿377
56.29%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.85 £29.90
$17.36 ฿580
129.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bedford
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.86 £27.66
$52.3 ฿1,747
-29.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.85 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.90 £11.93
$7.57 ฿253
110.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bedford
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$937 £703
$558 ฿18.7K
67.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.6K £16.2K
$11.5K ฿383.9K
87.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bedford
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$23.92 £17.95
$62.9 ฿2,102
-61.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.54 £19.16
$28.58 ฿955
-10.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.6 £59.7
$96.1 ฿3,213
-17.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.7 £65.1
$88.1 ฿2,943
-1.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bedford
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,115 £837
$729 ฿24.4K
52.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$952 £714
$460 ฿15.4K
106.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,353 £1,766
$2,096 ฿70.0K
12.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,998 £1,499
$1,222 ฿40.8K
63.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bedford
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,170 £2,378
$493 ฿16.5K
542.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.67
5.57
-16.16%

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

Last update for Bedford: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bedford
$952
Phuket
$460 51.7% $492
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bedford
$374
Phuket
$128 65.7% $246
Eating Out
Bedford
$305
Phuket
$121 60.2% $183
Groceries & Markets
Bedford
$279
Phuket
$268 4% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Bedford
$97
Phuket
$124 27.7% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Bedford
$69
Phuket
$67 1.8% $1.3
Getting Around
Bedford
$22 *
Phuket
$39 73.8% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,115 in Bedford versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 543% higher in Bedford, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Bedford versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Bedford
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
06:16 6:16 AM
12:16 12:16 PM
6 h ahead of Bedford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
80,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bedford Phuket 9,910 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bedford
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Bedford vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bedford or Phuket?
Bedford costs about 74% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bedford and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,146 per month in Bedford and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bedford or Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Bedford compared to Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,097 in Bedford and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 74%.
How do childcare costs compare in Bedford and in Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $937 per month in Bedford and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Bedford or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Bedford at $2,097. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bedford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bedford or Phuket?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $2,097 in Bedford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Bedford compared to Phuket?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Bedford or to Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bedford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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