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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,135 per month in Derby vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,223 per month in Derby vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,311 per month in Derby vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Derby costs about 73% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Derby sits 59% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.83 £18.40

$4.63 ฿151

436.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 £59.9

$46.84 ฿1,532

72.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 £8.02

$8.84 ฿289

22.40%

Cappuccino

$4.89 £3.62

$3.00 ฿98.0

63.00%

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

$2.33 £1.72

$0.74 ฿24.25

214.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.17

$0.37 ฿11.95

327.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 £4.73

$2.44 ฿79.8

161.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 £4.04

$3.61 ฿118

51.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.09

$2.26 ฿73.9

-34.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 £1.05

$1.84 ฿60.1

-23.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 £1.82

$2.24 ฿73.4

9.82%

Eggs

$3.94 £2.92

$2.32 ฿75.7

69.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.14 £6.78

$19.67 ฿643

-53.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 £6.46

$3.65 ฿119

138.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 £9.88

$13.10 ฿428

1.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 £3.41

$3.39 ฿111

35.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.71 £2.01

$1.64 ฿53.7

65.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.19

$2.41 ฿79.0

22.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 £2.25

$2.03 ฿66.4

49.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 £0.72

$1.56 ฿50.9

-37.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.50 ฿48.94

12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 £0.83

$1.02 ฿33.50

10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.06

$0.49 ฿16.00

191.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.01 £14.08

$4.45 ฿145

327.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.64 £7.14

$18.88 ฿617

-48.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 £1.95

$1.78 ฿58.1

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 £2.38

$2.75 ฿90.1

16.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$1.40 ฿45.81

90.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.1 £69.8

$11.48 ฿376

719.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 £3.42

$3.12 ฿102

48.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.00 ฿32.67

57.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.88 £18.44

$14.09 ฿461

76.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.35 ฿44.19

46.67%

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

$37.8K £28.0K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

39.05%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

25.08%

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

$351 £260

$125 ฿4,087

181.23%

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

$15.46 £11.46

$13.57 ฿444

13.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.58 £34.52

$18.52 ฿606

151.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.10 £33.42

$61.5 ฿2,010

-26.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 £18.77

$16.84 ฿551

50.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.78 £11.69

$9.19 ฿300

71.71%

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

$1,836 £1,361

$698 ฿22.8K

162.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K £15.4K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

33.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 £88.7

$57.8 ฿1,889

107.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 £43.55

$35.24 ฿1,152

66.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 £59.7

$113 ฿3,699

-28.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 £73.6

$86.4 ฿2,825

14.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 £585

$616 ฿20.1K

28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 £549

$446 ฿14.6K

66.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 £1,096

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-27.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 £991

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-10.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,769 £4,275

$3,779 ฿123.6K

52.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,238 £2,399

$2,649 ฿86.6K

22.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,801 £2,817

$524 ฿17.1K

625.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.56

5.33

4.32%

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

Last update for Derby: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $790 in Derby versus $616 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 626% higher in Derby, 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 $81.0 in Derby versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $292 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 costs about 73% 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 $3,203 per month in Derby and $1,847 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,836 per month in Derby and $698 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Derby, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Derby at $2,135. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Derby it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,232 versus $2,135 in Derby. 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, Derby makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.