Cost of Living Comparison Between Derby and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Derby and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,641 in Derby versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,719 in Derby versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,797 in Derby versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Derby is roughly 109% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Derby is 91% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 A$24.56

$4.66 ฿154

278.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 A$118

$32.22 ฿1,065

161.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 A$15.26

$8.68 ฿287

26.04%

Cappuccino

$4.08 A$5.69

$2.90 ฿95.8

40.69%

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

$2.99 A$4.17

$0.84 ฿27.89

255.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.16

$0.49 ฿16.16

361.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 A$10.97

$2.48 ฿82.0

217.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 A$10.57

$3.73 ฿123

103.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.30

$1.89 ฿62.3

-12.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 A$3.95

$1.41 ฿46.54

101.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 A$3.27

$1.62 ฿53.6

44.44%

Eggs

$4.92 A$6.86

$2.24 ฿74.1

119.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 A$13.12

$19.84 ฿656

-52.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 A$13.07

$3.48 ฿115

169.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 A$21.32

$11.37 ฿376

34.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 A$5.19

$2.90 ฿95.8

28.28%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.39

$1.72 ฿57.0

83.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.65

$2.27 ฿75.1

46.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 A$6.83

$2.13 ฿70.4

130.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.65

$1.47 ฿48.72

78.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.44

$1.42 ฿46.92

73.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 A$3.50

$1.10 ฿36.25

128.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.28

$0.60 ฿19.76

173.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.79 A$55.5

$4.31 ฿142

823.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 A$19.94

$18.60 ฿615

-23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.30

$1.80 ฿59.5

191.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.31

$2.97 ฿98.0

76.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 A$4.31

$2.25 ฿74.2

37.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.6 A$121

$23.49 ฿776

268.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.10

$3.10 ฿102

18.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.24

$1.08 ฿35.56

49.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.68 A$56.7

$3.87 ฿128

951.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.80

$1.43 ฿47.16

-9.79%

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

$28.3K A$39.5K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

1.95%

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

$30.9K A$43.0K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

14.37%

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

$217 A$302

$105 ฿3,462

106.77%

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

$28.21 A$39.33

$11.39 ฿376

147.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 A$80.6

$17.54 ฿580

229.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 A$78.7

$54.3 ฿1,795

3.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 A$26.04

$11.44 ฿378

63.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.81 A$22.04

$7.78 ฿257

103.21%

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

$2,223 A$3,099

$576 ฿19.0K

285.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K A$29.4K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

82.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$108

$63.6 ฿2,103

21.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 A$77.0

$29.10 ฿961

89.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 A$158

$96.2 ฿3,179

17.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 A$175

$90.0 ฿2,974

39.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 A$2,033

$733 ฿24.2K

98.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,291 A$1,799

$501 ฿16.5K

157.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,293 A$3,197

$2,126 ฿70.2K

7.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 A$2,576

$1,252 ฿41.4K

47.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,749 A$9,410

$3,534 ฿116.8K

90.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 A$7,203

$2,622 ฿86.6K

97.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

5.57

5.03%

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

Last update for Derby: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,459 in Derby and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84.0 in Derby vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $275 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

Derby vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Derby and Phuket differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($2,641 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,961 in Derby and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,459 in Derby versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Derby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $84.0 in Derby. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,641 in Derby, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Derby. 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, Derby 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 109% less than in Derby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.