Cost of Living Comparison Between Buckingham and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Buckingham and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,281 in Buckingham versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Buckingham versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,433 in Buckingham versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Buckingham is roughly 82% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buckingham is 66% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 £15.40

$4.56 ฿150

356.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 £61.1

$32.62 ฿1,073

153.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.13

$8.90 ฿293

23.60%

Cappuccino

$4.77 £3.53

$2.80 ฿92.2

70.36%

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

$2.12 £1.57

$0.88 ฿28.94

140.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.49 ฿16.08

222.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 £4.29

$2.39 ฿78.5

142.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 £3.53

$3.71 ฿122

28.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.11

$1.79 ฿58.8

-15.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.44 ฿47.40

29.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 £2.05

$1.58 ฿52.1

75.95%

Eggs

$4.16 £3.07

$2.13 ฿69.9

95.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 £7.18

$19.92 ฿655

-51.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 £5.60

$3.43 ฿113

120.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.80 £12.42

$11.33 ฿372

48.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 £2.47

$2.95 ฿97.0

13.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.72 ฿56.6

-3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$2.32 ฿76.5

25.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 £2.43

$2.08 ฿68.4

58.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 £0.89

$1.47 ฿48.34

-17.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.33

$1.36 ฿44.65

32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 £0.84

$1.10 ฿36.13

2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 £1.03

$0.57 ฿18.89

143.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.06 £17.78

$4.27 ฿140

463.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 £7.48

$18.42 ฿606

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 £2.43

$1.87 ฿61.5

75.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 £1.58

$2.92 ฿96.1

-26.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 £2.59

$2.22 ฿73.0

57.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 £71.5

$22.90 ฿753

322.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 £3.12

$3.03 ฿99.6

39.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.74 £2.03

$1.07 ฿35.32

156.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.90 £18.41

$3.93 ฿129

533.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$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

41.99%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

49.81%

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

$212 £156

$103 ฿3,380

105.89%

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

$17.57 £12.99

$10.99 ฿361

59.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.58 £32.95

$17.51 ฿576

154.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.74 £35.29

$53.5 ฿1,760

-10.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £9.94

$7.48 ฿246

79.68%

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

$1,571 £1,161

$557 ฿18.3K

182.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K £11.7K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

33.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 £66.0

$64.1 ฿2,107

39.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 £28.16

$29.07 ฿956

31.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.2 £56.3

$96.0 ฿3,155

-20.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 £71.6

$90.3 ฿2,970

7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 £1,115

$730 ฿24.0K

106.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 £772

$500 ฿16.4K

108.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 £1,553

$2,090 ฿68.7K

0.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 £1,252

$1,209 ฿39.8K

40.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,364 £3,965

$3,596 ฿118.2K

49.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,174 £3,085

$2,512 ฿82.6K

66.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,710 £3,481

$503 ฿16.6K

835.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.06

5.57

-9.16%

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

Last update for Buckingham: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Buckingham and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 836% 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: $83.0 in Buckingham vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $273 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

Buckingham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buckingham and Phuket differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($2,281 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 836% higher in Buckingham, 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: $1,508 in Buckingham versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,281 per month in Buckingham versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 82% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 322% less than in Buckingham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,281 in Buckingham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Buckingham. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Buckingham 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 82% less than in Buckingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.