Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Edinburgh and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,767 per month in Edinburgh vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,064 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,361 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 119% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Edinburgh sits 106% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.73 £15.44

$4.70 ฿154

341.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 £77.1

$45.37 ฿1,483

128.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 £7.41

$8.43 ฿276

18.03%

Cappuccino

$5.32 £3.97

$2.93 ฿95.7

81.57%

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

$2.61 £1.94

$0.69 ฿22.42

278.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$0.37 ฿12.00

443.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.64 £5.69

$2.41 ฿78.7

217.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 £5.16

$3.72 ฿122

86.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$2.23 ฿73.0

-26.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.83 ฿59.9

-5.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$2.17 ฿70.9

0.46%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.26

$2.21 ฿72.4

97.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.93 £8.88

$19.74 ฿645

-39.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 £7.63

$3.63 ฿119

182.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 £14.06

$13.53 ฿442

39.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.40

$3.28 ฿107

-1.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.61 ฿52.7

-7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 £3.09

$2.41 ฿78.7

71.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 £3.53

$2.08 ฿68.1

127.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.53 ฿49.97

18.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.48 ฿48.41

-4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$0.99 ฿32.32

17.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$0.51 ฿16.68

160.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.05

$4.41 ฿144

358.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 £8.46

$19.38 ฿634

-41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$1.78 ฿58.1

40.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 £2.44

$2.71 ฿88.7

20.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 £1.97

$1.37 ฿44.83

92.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$11.39 ฿372

685.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 £4.16

$3.02 ฿98.7

84.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.15 £2.34

$0.99 ฿32.51

218.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.77 £31.85

$14.10 ฿461

203.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.36 ฿44.55

43.38%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

35.60%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

18.01%

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

$381 £284

$122 ฿3,978

213.06%

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

$17.32 £12.90

$13.57 ฿444

27.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.43 £33.09

$18.31 ฿599

142.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 £40.59

$60.2 ฿1,969

-9.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.51 £18.26

$17.14 ฿560

43.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.73 £10.97

$8.69 ฿284

69.51%

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

$1,944 £1,448

$693 ฿22.7K

180.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K £18.0K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

53.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £88.1

$59.5 ฿1,946

98.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 £41.42

$34.77 ฿1,137

59.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 £86.6

$115 ฿3,746

1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 £93.6

$83.3 ฿2,723

50.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 £1,231

$613 ฿20.0K

169.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £895

$437 ฿14.3K

174.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,062 £2,281

$2,094 ฿68.5K

46.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,168 £1,615

$1,509 ฿49.3K

43.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,616 £4,928

$3,749 ฿122.6K

76.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,869 £3,627

$2,616 ฿85.5K

86.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,659 £2,725

$508 ฿16.6K

620.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.33

5.63%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,653 in Edinburgh 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 620% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $104 in Edinburgh versus $45.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $293 – 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

Edinburgh vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 119%, 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 $4,150 per month in Edinburgh 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Edinburgh and $45.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,767 in Edinburgh and $1,265 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Edinburgh at $2,767. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh 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, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.