Cost of Living Comparison Between Darlington and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Darlington and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,678 per month in Darlington vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,666 per month in Darlington vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,653 per month in Darlington vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Darlington costs about 33% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Darlington sits 25% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 £13.56

$4.70 ฿153

287.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 £60.9

$45.37 ฿1,482

80.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 £7.28

$8.43 ฿275

15.90%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.50

$2.93 ฿95.6

60.41%

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

$2.00 £1.49

$0.69 ฿22.40

189.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 £0.53

$0.37 ฿11.99

91.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.49 £4.09

$2.41 ฿78.6

127.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 £3.34

$3.72 ฿122

20.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 £0.97

$2.23 ฿72.9

-41.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.83 ฿59.8

-27.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 £1.76

$2.17 ฿70.8

8.76%

Eggs

$3.72 £2.77

$2.21 ฿72.3

68.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.43 £7.77

$19.74 ฿645

-47.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 £5.92

$3.63 ฿119

119.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 £5.70

$13.53 ฿442

-43.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 £2.66

$3.28 ฿107

9.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.61 ฿52.6

-20.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 £2.27

$2.41 ฿78.6

26.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 £2.74

$2.08 ฿68.1

76.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 £0.84

$1.53 ฿49.93

-26.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.48 ฿48.36

-9.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 £0.72

$0.99 ฿32.29

-2.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 £0.62

$0.51 ฿16.67

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.67 £13.91

$4.41 ฿144

323.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 £6.88

$19.38 ฿633

-52.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.78 ฿58.1

-33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 £1.43

$2.71 ฿88.6

-29.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 £2.04

$1.37 ฿44.79

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 £65.2

$11.39 ฿372

668.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 £3.63

$3.02 ฿98.6

61.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.99 ฿32.48

59.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.34 £12.17

$14.10 ฿461

15.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.36 ฿44.51

43.38%

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

$20.4K £15.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-27.53%

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

$31.7K £23.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-3.64%

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

$269 £201

$122 ฿3,975

121.13%

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

$15.76 £11.74

$13.57 ฿443

16.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.60 £32.48

$18.31 ฿598

138.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.98 £20.10

$60.2 ฿1,967

-55.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 £5.07

$17.14 ฿560

-60.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.81 £5.07

$8.69 ฿284

-21.63%

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

$1,593 £1,187

$693 ฿22.6K

129.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,694 £4,987

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-57.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 £59.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

34.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.85 £20.00

$34.77 ฿1,136

-22.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 £64.9

$115 ฿3,743

-23.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 £53.1

$83.3 ฿2,720

-14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 £498

$613 ฿20.0K

9.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 £412

$437 ฿14.3K

26.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,483 £1,105

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-29.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 £914

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-18.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K £10.2K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

266.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,798 £2,084

$508 ฿16.6K

450.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

5.33

5.07%

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

Last update for Darlington: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $668 in Darlington 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 451% higher in Darlington, 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 $82.0 in Darlington versus $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Darlington vs $293 in Phuket – so Darlington 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

Darlington vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Darlington is pricier by about 33%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,517 per month in Darlington 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.

Public transport costs about 668% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,593 per month in Darlington and $693 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Darlington at $1,678. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Darlington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Darlington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.