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: $2,355 in Cardiff versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,357 in Cardiff versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,359 in Cardiff versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Cardiff is roughly 88% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cardiff is 76% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 £14.90

$4.55 ฿153

340.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 £65.7

$46.18 ฿1,550

91.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 £8.10

$8.84 ฿297

23.30%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.60

$3.06 ฿103

58.50%

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

$2.54 £1.89

$0.73 ฿24.36

247.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.28

$0.40 ฿13.37

330.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 £5.07

$2.43 ฿81.6

180.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.62

$3.78 ฿127

64.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$2.26 ฿75.8

-15.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.81 ฿60.8

-3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 £2.25

$2.25 ฿75.7

34.67%

Eggs

$4.63 £3.44

$2.25 ฿75.4

105.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 £7.53

$19.51 ฿655

-48.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 £6.66

$3.65 ฿122

145.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.23 £6.86

$13.05 ฿438

-29.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$3.23 ฿109

-13.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.62 ฿54.3

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.41

$2.38 ฿80.0

36.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 £4.27

$2.03 ฿68.0

183.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.53 ฿51.5

14.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.50 ฿50.4

-1.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$0.98 ฿32.85

20.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$0.52 ฿17.36

234.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.49 £14.49

$4.44 ฿149

338.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.10 £8.25

$18.32 ฿615

-39.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$1.86 ฿62.6

70.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 £2.59

$2.68 ฿90.0

30.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 £2.35

$1.41 ฿47.37

123.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.9 £58.7

$11.70 ฿393

574.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 £2.99

$3.11 ฿104

29.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.92

$1.04 ฿35.00

148.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.49 £15.23

$14.11 ฿474

45.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.31 ฿44.02

45.80%

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

$38.8K £28.8K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

39.42%

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

$54.4K £40.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

63.87%

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

$292 £217

$122 ฿4,110

138.45%

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

$20.13 £14.96

$13.59 ฿456

48.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 £31.93

$18.70 ฿628

129.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.58 £29.42

$60.5 ฿2,031

-34.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.55 £6.36

$16.98 ฿570

-49.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.87 £5.85

$9.07 ฿305

-13.23%

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

$1,991 £1,480

$706 ฿23.7K

181.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K £25.2K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

114.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.3 £51.5

$58.6 ฿1,965

18.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 £27.37

$35.36 ฿1,187

4.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 £55.3

$115 ฿3,876

-35.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.2 £49.93

$83.7 ฿2,811

-19.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 £975

$626 ฿21.0K

109.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 £835

$445 ฿14.9K

152.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 £1,902

$2,040 ฿68.5K

25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,660 £1,234

$1,492 ฿50.1K

11.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 £4,095

$3,483 ฿116.9K

58.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,517 £2,614

$2,577 ฿86.5K

36.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,316 £2,465

$500 ฿16.8K

563.35%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,311 in Cardiff and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 563% 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: $88.0 in Cardiff vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $289 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 88% in total monthly costs ($2,355 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 563% higher in Cardiff, 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: $1,311 in Cardiff versus $626 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 $46.00 versus $88.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,355 per month in Cardiff versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,355 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 88% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.