Cost of Living Comparison Between Bournemouth and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Bournemouth and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,491 per month in Bournemouth vs $1,247 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,726 per month in Bournemouth vs $2,276 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,960 per month in Bournemouth vs $3,306 in Phuket, rent included.

Bournemouth costs about 100% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Bournemouth sits 85% above the global median, while Phuket is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.24 £15.00

$4.59 ฿147

340.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 £69.4

$46.83 ฿1,501

100.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 £6.95

$8.70 ฿279

7.82%

Cappuccino

$4.31 £3.19

$2.92 ฿93.7

47.60%

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

$2.28 £1.69

$0.68 ฿21.92

235.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.31

$0.40 ฿12.70

342.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.72 £4.98

$2.51 ฿80.4

167.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 £4.11

$3.80 ฿122

45.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.26

$2.16 ฿69.3

-21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.88 ฿60.3

-34.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 £1.89

$2.16 ฿69.2

18.06%

Eggs

$3.31 £2.45

$2.22 ฿71.2

49.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 £7.10

$19.57 ฿627

-51.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.00 £5.19

$3.80 ฿122

84.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.57 £10.05

$13.41 ฿430

1.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 £2.01

$3.26 ฿104

-16.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.61 ฿51.7

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 £1.73

$2.31 ฿74.0

0.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 £1.64

$2.06 ฿66.0

7.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.32

$1.61 ฿51.5

10.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.44 ฿46.26

-9.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 £0.70

$1.03 ฿33.01

-7.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.08

$0.48 ฿15.39

204.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.90 £16.23

$4.50 ฿144

386.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 £7.47

$19.18 ฿615

-47.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 £1.99

$1.82 ฿58.4

47.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 £1.84

$2.69 ฿86.2

-7.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$1.38 ฿44.16

92.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 £63.9

$11.76 ฿377

632.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 £2.95

$3.11 ฿99.6

28.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 £1.47

$1.00 ฿32.18

99.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.19 £19.41

$13.74 ฿441

90.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.30 ฿41.61

46.15%

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

$38.2K £28.3K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

39.79%

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

$39.3K £29.1K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

19.07%

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

$347 £257

$125 ฿4,004

178.23%

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

$16.06 £11.90

$13.74 ฿440

16.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.11 £33.43

$18.61 ฿597

142.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.00 £29.64

$60.6 ฿1,941

-33.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.80 £9.48

$17.15 ฿550

-25.36%

Cinema Ticket

$16.23 £12.03

$9.01 ฿289

80.13%

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

$2,270 £1,682

$698 ฿22.4K

225.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.3K £26.1K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

118.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 £64.1

$59.2 ฿1,898

46.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.04 £35.60

$34.86 ฿1,118

37.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.3

$114 ฿3,662

-9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 £67.4

$85.8 ฿2,751

6.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 £994

$619 ฿19.8K

116.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 £868

$437 ฿14.0K

168.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 £2,111

$2,075 ฿66.5K

37.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 £1,627

$1,509 ฿48.4K

45.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,829 £5,060

$3,764 ฿120.7K

81.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,370 £3,238

$2,694 ฿86.4K

62.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,258 £2,414

$528 ฿16.9K

516.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.82

5.33

9.19%

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

Last update for Bournemouth: April 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,342 in Bournemouth versus $619 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 517% higher in Bournemouth, 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 $94 in Bournemouth versus $47 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Bournemouth vs $292 in Phuket – so Bournemouth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Bournemouth vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bournemouth costs about 100% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,737 per month in Bournemouth and $1,870 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Bournemouth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Bournemouth and $47.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,247, than in Bournemouth at $2,491. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bournemouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,247 versus $2,491 in Bournemouth. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bournemouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.