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: $2,247 in Buckingham versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,448 in Buckingham versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,650 in Buckingham versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Buckingham is roughly 78% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buckingham is 68% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.15

$4.70 ฿153

332.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.4 £61.4

$45.37 ฿1,482

81.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 £8.21

$8.43 ฿275

30.72%

Cappuccino

$4.75 £3.54

$2.93 ฿95.6

62.12%

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

$1.91 £1.42

$0.69 ฿22.40

176.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 £1.03

$0.37 ฿11.99

275.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 £4.06

$2.41 ฿78.6

126.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 £3.96

$3.72 ฿122

43.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 £0.86

$2.23 ฿72.9

-48.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.83 ฿59.8

-15.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 £1.57

$2.17 ฿70.8

-2.76%

Eggs

$4.28 £3.19

$2.21 ฿72.3

93.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 £7.53

$19.74 ฿645

-48.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.29 £5.43

$3.63 ฿119

100.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 £11.42

$13.53 ฿442

13.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.43

$3.28 ฿107

-0.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.61 ฿52.6

6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.17

$2.41 ฿78.6

20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 £1.87

$2.08 ฿68.1

20.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 £0.68

$1.53 ฿49.93

-40.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$1.48 ฿48.36

12.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$0.99 ฿32.29

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.19

$0.51 ฿16.67

211.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.04 £11.95

$4.41 ฿144

263.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 £8.00

$19.38 ฿633

-44.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 £1.96

$1.78 ฿58.1

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.49

$2.71 ฿88.6

-26.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.05

$1.37 ฿44.79

101.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.4 £65.9

$11.39 ฿372

676.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 £2.98

$3.02 ฿98.6

32.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 £1.01

$0.99 ฿32.48

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.97 £19.35

$14.10 ฿461

84.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.36 ฿44.51

44.85%

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

$39.1K £29.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

38.65%

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

$41.9K £31.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

27.38%

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

$263 £196

$122 ฿3,975

116.29%

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

$17.15 £12.77

$13.57 ฿443

26.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.65 £26.56

$18.31 ฿598

94.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.67 £10.18

$60.2 ฿1,967

-77.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 £9.09

$8.69 ฿284

40.28%

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

$1,410 £1,050

$693 ฿22.6K

103.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K £10.3K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-12.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 £55.3

$59.5 ฿1,944

24.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.12 £26.91

$34.77 ฿1,136

3.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 £52.5

$115 ฿3,743

-38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 £68.6

$83.3 ฿2,720

10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 £1,095

$613 ฿20.0K

139.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 £783

$437 ฿14.3K

140.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,406 £2,538

$2,094 ฿68.4K

62.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 £1,522

$1,509 ฿49.3K

35.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,938 £3,679

$3,749 ฿122.5K

31.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,608 £3,433

$508 ฿16.6K

806.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.79

5.33

8.63%

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

Last update for Buckingham: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,470 in Buckingham and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 807% 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: $82.0 in Buckingham vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $293, with Buckingham cheaper for home cooking.

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 78% in total monthly costs ($2,247 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Buckingham pays 807% more on average, 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: $1,470 in Buckingham versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,247 per month in Buckingham versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 676% less than in Buckingham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,247 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 78% less than in Buckingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.