Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,023 in Durham versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,041 in Durham versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,059 in Durham versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Durham is roughly 60% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durham is 51% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.27 £14.33

$4.56 ฿149

322.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.7 £71.9

$46.63 ฿1,519

107.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 £7.38

$8.47 ฿276

17.12%

Cappuccino

$4.41 £3.28

$3.03 ฿98.6

45.54%

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

$2.49 £1.85

$0.69 ฿22.45

260.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.49

$0.37 ฿11.92

440.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.28 £4.67

$2.49 ฿81.0

152.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.27 £3.92

$3.66 ฿119

43.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.31

$2.18 ฿71.0

-19.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.90 ฿62.0

-13.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 £1.89

$2.20 ฿71.6

15.45%

Eggs

$4.23 £3.15

$2.22 ฿72.4

90.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 £6.74

$19.99 ฿651

-54.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.92 £5.89

$3.66 ฿119

116.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 £7.24

$13.25 ฿432

-26.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 £2.68

$3.23 ฿105

11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.70 ฿55.3

34.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$2.39 ฿78.0

35.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.39 £2.52

$2.08 ฿67.7

62.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 £0.85

$1.59 ฿51.8

-28.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.48 ฿48.31

6.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.03 ฿33.54

0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.35

$0.52 ฿16.83

248.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.67 £16.86

$4.25 ฿138

433.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 £7.93

$18.79 ฿612

-43.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 £2.19

$1.76 ฿57.2

67.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.13

$2.76 ฿89.8

3.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.21 £2.39

$1.36 ฿44.32

136.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 £41.20

$11.36 ฿370

387.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 £3.49

$3.14 ฿102

49.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.04 ฿33.74

52.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.38 £17.38

$13.77 ฿448

69.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.34 ฿43.79

46.27%

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

$37.1K £27.6K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

34.18%

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

$39.6K £29.4K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

16.84%

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

$276 £205

$124 ฿4,025

123.46%

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

$15.99 £11.89

$13.52 ฿440

18.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.80 £25.87

$18.69 ฿609

86.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 £37.71

$61.8 ฿2,013

-17.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$12.78 £9.50

$9.14 ฿298

39.82%

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

$1,577 £1,172

$703 ฿22.9K

124.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

13.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 £77.2

$59.5 ฿1,937

74.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 £45.35

$35.07 ฿1,142

73.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 £91.1

$115 ฿3,754

6.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.7 £64.4

$84.1 ฿2,737

3.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 £1,072

$619 ฿20.1K

133.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 £617

$433 ฿14.1K

91.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 £1,956

$2,062 ฿67.2K

27.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 £926

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-17.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,233 £3,891

$3,646 ฿118.7K

43.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,930 £2,922

$2,626 ฿85.5K

49.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,137 £1,588

$507 ฿16.5K

321.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

5.33

2.25%

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

Last update for Durham: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,442 in Durham and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 321% 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: $97.0 in Durham vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $293, with Durham cheaper for home cooking.

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

Durham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and Phuket differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($2,023 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Durham pays 321% more on average, 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: $1,442 in Durham versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,023 per month in Durham versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 388% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,023 in Durham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Durham. 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, Durham 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 60% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.