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: $2,033 in Durham versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,006 in Durham versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,980 in Durham versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Durham is roughly 65% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durham is 52% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 £14.00

$4.63 ฿151

308.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.8 £71.6

$46.84 ฿1,523

106.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 £7.41

$8.84 ฿287

13.35%

Cappuccino

$4.37 £3.24

$3.00 ฿97.4

45.67%

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

$2.50 £1.85

$0.74 ฿24.11

237.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$0.37 ฿11.88

421.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 £4.50

$2.44 ฿79.3

149.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 £3.97

$3.61 ฿117

48.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.32

$2.26 ฿73.5

-20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.84 ฿59.8

-11.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 £1.86

$2.24 ฿73.0

12.05%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.96

$2.32 ฿75.3

72.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 £6.85

$19.67 ฿639

-52.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 £6.08

$3.65 ฿119

124.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 £7.09

$13.10 ฿426

-26.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 £2.71

$3.39 ฿110

7.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.64 ฿53.4

39.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 £2.39

$2.41 ฿78.5

34.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.53

$2.03 ฿66.0

68.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 £0.85

$1.56 ฿50.6

-26.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.50 ฿48.66

4.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.02 ฿33.30

1.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$0.49 ฿15.91

271.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.65 £16.76

$4.45 ฿145

408.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 £8.17

$18.88 ฿614

-41.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 £2.29

$1.78 ฿57.7

73.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.20

$2.75 ฿89.5

8.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 £2.35

$1.40 ฿45.54

127.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 £41.28

$11.48 ฿373

385.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 £3.57

$3.12 ฿101

54.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.00 ฿32.48

57.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.48 £17.38

$14.09 ฿458

66.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.35 ฿43.93

42.96%

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

$37.1K £27.5K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

36.56%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

21.04%

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

$276 £204

$125 ฿4,063

120.71%

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

$15.57 £11.52

$13.57 ฿441

14.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.37 £25.43

$18.52 ฿602

85.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 £37.20

$61.5 ฿1,999

-18.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 £9.56

$9.19 ฿299

40.59%

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

$1,615 £1,195

$698 ฿22.7K

131.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

16.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £75.6

$57.8 ฿1,878

76.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 £44.44

$35.24 ฿1,146

70.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £91.4

$113 ฿3,677

9.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 £66.0

$86.4 ฿2,808

3.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 £1,083

$616 ฿20.0K

137.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 £613

$446 ฿14.5K

85.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,610 £1,932

$2,048 ฿66.6K

27.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 £939

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-14.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,204 £3,851

$3,779 ฿122.8K

37.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,964 £2,934

$2,649 ฿86.1K

49.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,090 £1,547

$524 ฿17.0K

299.02%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,463 in Durham and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 299% 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 for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $292 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

Durham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and Phuket differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($2,033 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Durham pays 299% 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: $1,463 in Durham versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,033 per month in Durham versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 386% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,033 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 65% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.