Cost of Living Comparison Between Chatham and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Chatham and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,845 per month in Chatham vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,907 per month in Chatham vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,968 per month in Chatham vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Chatham costs about 125% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chatham sits 112% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.49 £20.43

$4.70 ฿153

484.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.6 £71.1

$45.37 ฿1,482

110.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 £7.05

$8.43 ฿275

12.46%

Cappuccino

$3.43 £2.55

$2.93 ฿95.6

17.06%

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

$3.43 £2.55

$0.69 ฿22.40

397.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.03

$0.37 ฿11.99

272.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 £4.97

$2.41 ฿78.6

177.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.13

$3.72 ฿122

85.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 £1.06

$2.23 ฿72.9

-35.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.83 ฿59.8

-25.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 £1.98

$2.17 ฿70.8

22.58%

Eggs

$3.62 £2.69

$2.21 ฿72.3

63.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 £7.34

$19.74 ฿645

-49.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 £5.89

$3.63 ฿119

118.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 £9.70

$13.53 ฿442

-3.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$3.28 ฿107

-7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.61 ฿52.6

-3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 £2.14

$2.41 ฿78.6

19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 £2.43

$2.08 ฿68.1

56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.53 ฿49.93

-7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.48 ฿48.36

-6.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 £0.70

$0.99 ฿32.29

-5.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 £1.14

$0.51 ฿16.67

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.72 £10.94

$4.41 ฿144

233.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.54 £10.07

$19.38 ฿633

-30.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 £1.75

$1.78 ฿58.1

32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.47

$2.71 ฿88.6

22.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 £2.06

$1.37 ฿44.79

102.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 £65.3

$11.39 ฿372

671.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 £4.46

$3.02 ฿98.6

98.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 £1.30

$0.99 ฿32.48

76.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.97 £11.13

$14.10 ฿461

6.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.36 ฿44.51

36.76%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

37.70%

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)

$228 £170

$122 ฿3,975

87.70%

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

$19.32 £14.36

$13.57 ฿443

42.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.67 £33.21

$18.31 ฿598

143.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.54 £35.34

$60.2 ฿1,967

-21.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$13.67 £10.16

$8.69 ฿284

57.31%

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

$1,319 £980

$693 ฿22.6K

90.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K £19.1K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

63.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.3 £61.2

$59.5 ฿1,944

38.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.61 £36.87

$34.77 ฿1,136

42.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.1

$115 ฿3,743

-4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 £74.4

$83.3 ฿2,720

20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 £1,217

$613 ฿20.0K

167.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 £1,144

$437 ฿14.3K

252.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 £1,876

$2,094 ฿68.4K

20.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 £1,619

$1,509 ฿49.3K

44.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,097 £6,018

$3,749 ฿122.5K

115.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,372 £5,479

$2,616 ฿85.4K

181.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,607 £1,938

$508 ฿16.6K

413.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

5.33

3.75%

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

Last update for Chatham: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,637 in Chatham versus $613 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 413% higher in Chatham, 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 $96.0 in Chatham versus $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Chatham vs $293 in Phuket – so Chatham wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chatham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chatham costs about 125% 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 $4,268 per month in Chatham and $1,898 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,845 in Chatham and $1,265 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 671% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Chatham at $2,845. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chatham it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,265 versus $2,845 in Chatham. 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, Chatham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.