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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,577 per month in Bournemouth vs $1,253 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,838 per month in Bournemouth vs $2,043 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,099 per month in Bournemouth vs $2,833 in Phuket, rent included.

Bournemouth costs about 106% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Bournemouth sits 88% above the global median, while Phuket is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.23 £15.69

$4.56 ฿150

365.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.4

$32.62 ฿1,073

208.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 £8.97

$8.90 ฿293

36.29%

Cappuccino

$4.88 £3.61

$2.80 ฿92.2

74.29%

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

$3.12 £2.30

$0.88 ฿28.94

254.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 £1.57

$0.49 ฿16.08

334.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.77 £5.00

$2.39 ฿78.5

183.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.27 £5.37

$3.71 ฿122

95.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.79 ฿58.8

-6.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.42

$1.44 ฿47.40

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 £1.41

$1.58 ฿52.1

20.89%

Eggs

$4.24 £3.13

$2.13 ฿69.9

99.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.36 £4.70

$19.92 ฿655

-68.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 £6.95

$3.43 ฿113

174.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.65 £9.35

$11.33 ฿372

11.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 £1.75

$2.95 ฿97.0

-19.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 £1.31

$1.72 ฿56.6

3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 £1.47

$2.32 ฿76.5

-14.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.28 £1.68

$2.08 ฿68.4

9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 £1.54

$1.47 ฿48.34

41.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.36 ฿44.65

-4.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 £1.47

$1.10 ฿36.13

80.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.33

$0.57 ฿18.89

215.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.22 £17.91

$4.27 ฿140

467.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.72 £7.19

$18.42 ฿606

-47.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 £2.13

$1.87 ฿61.5

54.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.85

$2.92 ฿96.1

-14.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 £2.83

$2.22 ฿73.0

72.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.1 £68.1

$22.90 ฿753

302.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 £2.57

$3.03 ฿99.6

14.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 £1.81

$1.07 ฿35.32

128.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.83 £24.27

$3.93 ฿129

735.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.43

$1.49 ฿49.06

30.20%

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

$38.5K £28.5K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

42.05%

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

$42.1K £31.1K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

53.48%

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

$363 £268

$103 ฿3,380

252.98%

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

$16.32 £12.06

$10.99 ฿361

48.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.83 £33.14

$17.51 ฿576

156.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.21 £28.98

$53.5 ฿1,760

-26.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.34 £9.12

$11.20 ฿368

10.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.36 £12.84

$7.48 ฿246

132.09%

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

$2,329 £1,722

$557 ฿18.3K

318.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K £25.4K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

189.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.2 £71.1

$64.1 ฿2,107

50.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.64 £33.74

$29.07 ฿956

57.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 £62.0

$96.0 ฿3,155

-12.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 £107

$90.3 ฿2,970

60.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 £945

$730 ฿24.0K

74.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 £885

$500 ฿16.4K

139.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 £2,004

$2,090 ฿68.7K

29.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 £1,458

$1,209 ฿39.8K

63.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,997 £5,172

$3,596 ฿118.2K

94.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,417 £3,265

$2,512 ฿82.6K

75.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,210 £2,373

$503 ฿16.6K

537.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Bournemouth: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,278 in Bournemouth versus $730 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 538% 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 $101 in Bournemouth versus $33.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $273 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 106% 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 $3,865 per month in Bournemouth and $1,880 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.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Bournemouth, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Bournemouth and $33.00 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 $1,253, than in Bournemouth at $2,577. 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 $1,253 versus $2,577 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.