Cost of Living Comparison Between Ely, Cambridgeshire and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ely, Cambridgeshire and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,262 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,417 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,571 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.

Ely, Cambridgeshire costs about 81% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Ely, Cambridgeshire sits 69% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.15 £14.26

$4.55 ฿153

320.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.0 £65.5

$46.18 ฿1,553

90.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.45 £9.27

$8.84 ฿297

40.84%

Cappuccino

$5.51 £4.10

$3.06 ฿103

80.07%

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

$2.58 £1.92

$0.73 ฿24.40

253.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.37

$0.40 ฿13.39

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.21 £3.88

$2.43 ฿81.8

114.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 £3.23

$3.78 ฿127

14.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.26 ฿76.0

-29.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.81 ฿60.9

-8.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 £1.63

$2.25 ฿75.8

-2.67%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.93

$2.25 ฿75.5

74.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 £7.32

$19.51 ฿656

-49.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 £6.75

$3.65 ฿123

148.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.79 £10.27

$13.05 ฿439

5.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 £2.30

$3.23 ฿109

-4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.62 ฿54.4

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 £2.10

$2.38 ฿80.1

18.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.57

$2.03 ฿68.1

69.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$1.53 ฿51.6

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.50 ฿50.5

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$0.98 ฿32.91

10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.52 ฿17.39

192.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.11 £14.23

$4.44 ฿149

330.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 £8.23

$18.32 ฿616

-39.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 £2.11

$1.86 ฿62.7

52.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 £2.35

$2.68 ฿90.1

17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$1.41 ฿47.46

136.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.4 £65.8

$11.70 ฿393

655.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 £4.01

$3.11 ฿105

73.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.04 ฿35.06

50.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.35 £17.38

$14.11 ฿474

65.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.31 ฿44.10

44.27%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

38.32%

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

$42.0K £31.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

26.33%

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

$300 £223

$122 ฿4,118

144.76%

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

$16.92 £12.60

$13.59 ฿457

24.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.09 £32.08

$18.70 ฿629

130.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.20 £33.65

$60.5 ฿2,034

-25.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$13.67 £10.18

$9.07 ฿305

50.72%

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

$1,562 £1,163

$706 ฿23.8K

121.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

14.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 £61.9

$58.6 ฿1,969

41.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.23 £32.93

$35.36 ฿1,189

25.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 £69.5

$115 ฿3,883

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.2 £73.1

$83.7 ฿2,816

17.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 £895

$626 ฿21.0K

92.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 £734

$445 ฿15.0K

121.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 £1,528

$2,040 ฿68.6K

0.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 £1,271

$1,492 ฿50.2K

14.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,135 £3,823

$3,483 ฿117.1K

47.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,006 £4,472

$2,577 ฿86.7K

133.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,911 £2,167

$500 ฿16.8K

482.35%

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 Ely, Cambridgeshire: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,203 in Ely, Cambridgeshire versus $626 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 482% higher in Ely, Cambridgeshire, 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 $88.0 in Ely, Cambridgeshire versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $289 – 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

Ely, Cambridgeshire vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ely, Cambridgeshire is pricier by about 81%, 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 $3,393 per month in Ely, Cambridgeshire and $1,875 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,262 in Ely, Cambridgeshire and $1,250 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 655% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Ely, Cambridgeshire at $2,262. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ely, Cambridgeshire 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, Ely, Cambridgeshire makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.