Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,346 in Cheltenham versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,549 in Cheltenham versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,752 in Cheltenham versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Cheltenham is roughly 87% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheltenham is 71% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.91 £17.68

$4.56 ฿150

424.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 £78.6

$32.62 ฿1,073

225.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 £8.69

$8.90 ฿293

32.02%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.47

$2.80 ฿92.2

67.86%

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

$2.76 £2.04

$0.88 ฿28.94

213.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.33

$0.49 ฿16.08

267.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 £5.74

$2.39 ฿78.5

224.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.10

$3.71 ฿122

85.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.26

$1.79 ฿58.8

-4.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 £1.24

$1.44 ฿47.40

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.58 ฿52.1

32.91%

Eggs

$4.49 £3.32

$2.13 ฿69.9

110.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 £6.16

$19.92 ฿655

-58.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 £7.26

$3.43 ฿113

186.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 £9.92

$11.33 ฿372

18.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.41

$2.95 ฿97.0

10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 £1.11

$1.72 ฿56.6

-12.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 £1.44

$2.32 ฿76.5

-15.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 £2.53

$2.08 ฿68.4

64.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.47 ฿48.34

10.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.36 ฿44.65

13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.10 ฿36.13

17.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.08

$0.57 ฿18.89

156.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.75 £17.56

$4.27 ฿140

456.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 £8.15

$18.42 ฿606

-40.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.12

$1.87 ฿61.5

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 £2.20

$2.92 ฿96.1

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.56

$2.22 ฿73.0

55.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 £70.2

$22.90 ฿753

314.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 £2.67

$3.03 ฿99.6

19.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.07 ฿35.32

53.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.20 £20.11

$3.93 ฿129

592.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.49 ฿49.06

24.83%

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

$39.0K £28.8K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

43.68%

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

$42.1K £31.1K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

53.18%

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

$345 £255

$103 ฿3,380

235.62%

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

$17.09 £12.63

$10.99 ฿361

55.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 £37.63

$17.51 ฿576

190.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.41 £33.57

$53.5 ฿1,760

-15.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.04 £30.33

$11.20 ฿368

266.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 £10.35

$7.48 ฿246

87.17%

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

$2,048 £1,514

$557 ฿18.3K

267.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K £18.5K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

111.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 £76.5

$64.1 ฿2,107

61.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 £37.23

$29.07 ฿956

73.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 £81.6

$96.0 ฿3,155

14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 £73.7

$90.3 ฿2,970

10.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £888

$730 ฿24.0K

64.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 £688

$500 ฿16.4K

86.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 £1,662

$2,090 ฿68.7K

7.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 £1,212

$1,209 ฿39.8K

35.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,902 £4,363

$3,596 ฿118.2K

64.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,719 £4,227

$2,512 ฿82.6K

127.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,877 £3,605

$503 ฿16.6K

868.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

5.57

-0.54%

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

Last update for Cheltenham: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,201 in Cheltenham and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 869% 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: $106 in Cheltenham vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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

Cheltenham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 869% higher in Cheltenham, 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: $1,201 in Cheltenham versus $730 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 $33.00 versus $106 in Cheltenham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,346 per month in Cheltenham versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,346 in Cheltenham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cheltenham. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cheltenham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cheltenham 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 87% less than in Cheltenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.