Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cardiff and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,422 in Cardiff versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,441 in Cardiff versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Cardiff versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 91% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cardiff is 81% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 £15.13

$4.70 ฿154

332.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.7 £64.5

$45.37 ฿1,483

91.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 £7.99

$8.43 ฿276

27.16%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.48

$2.93 ฿95.7

59.39%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$0.69 ฿22.42

257.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.27

$0.37 ฿12.00

362.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.76 £5.03

$2.41 ฿78.7

180.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.64

$3.72 ฿122

67.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$2.23 ฿73.0

-13.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.83 ฿59.9

-5.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 £2.23

$2.17 ฿70.9

37.79%

Eggs

$4.65 £3.46

$2.21 ฿72.4

110.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.18 £7.59

$19.74 ฿645

-48.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.98 £6.69

$3.63 ฿119

147.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 £7.14

$13.53 ฿442

-29.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$3.28 ฿107

-13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.61 ฿52.7

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$2.41 ฿78.7

33.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 £4.18

$2.08 ฿68.1

170.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.53 ฿49.97

11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.48 ฿48.41

3.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 £0.85

$0.99 ฿32.32

15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.24

$0.51 ฿16.68

225.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.98 £14.88

$4.41 ฿144

353.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.21 £8.35

$19.38 ฿634

-42.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.45

$1.78 ฿58.1

84.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 £2.72

$2.71 ฿88.7

35.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.16 £2.35

$1.37 ฿44.83

130.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.5 £57.7

$11.39 ฿372

579.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 £3.10

$3.02 ฿98.7

37.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$0.99 ฿32.51

160.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 £15.10

$14.10 ฿461

43.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.36 ฿44.55

41.18%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

33.94%

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

$54.5K £40.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

65.64%

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

$294 £219

$122 ฿3,978

141.61%

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

$20.08 £14.95

$13.57 ฿444

47.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.76 £32.59

$18.31 ฿599

139.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.71 £28.83

$60.2 ฿1,969

-35.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 £6.34

$17.14 ฿560

-50.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.67 £5.71

$8.69 ฿284

-11.74%

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

$1,987 £1,480

$693 ฿22.7K

186.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K £25.1K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

114.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 £51.9

$59.5 ฿1,946

17.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.31 £27.04

$34.77 ฿1,137

4.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 £54.5

$115 ฿3,746

-36.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 £49.40

$83.3 ฿2,723

-20.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,333 £993

$613 ฿20.0K

117.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 £851

$437 ฿14.3K

161.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 £1,890

$2,094 ฿68.5K

21.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 £1,235

$1,509 ฿49.3K

9.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,553 £4,136

$3,749 ฿122.6K

48.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,455 £2,573

$2,616 ฿85.5K

32.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,236 £2,410

$508 ฿16.6K

536.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.57%

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

Last update for Cardiff: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,333 in Cardiff and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 537% 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: $87.0 in Cardiff vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $293 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

Cardiff vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cardiff and Phuket differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($2,422 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cardiff pays 537% 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: $1,333 in Cardiff versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,422 per month in Cardiff versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,422 in Cardiff, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. 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, Cardiff 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 91% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.