Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,386 in Exeter versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,893 in Exeter versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,400 in Exeter versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Exeter is roughly 89% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Exeter is 79% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.08

$4.48 ฿150

354.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 £65.3

$45.59 ฿1,522

93.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 £7.64

$8.76 ฿292

17.58%

Cappuccino

$4.46 £3.31

$2.97 ฿99.1

50.17%

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

$3.14 £2.33

$0.69 ฿22.92

355.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 £1.25

$0.39 ฿13.05

333.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.56 £5.60

$2.53 ฿84.5

198.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 £4.41

$3.75 ฿125

58.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.15 ฿71.6

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.82 ฿60.6

4.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$2.18 ฿73.0

-23.39%

Eggs

$4.72 £3.50

$2.25 ฿75.1

109.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 £6.09

$20.00 ฿668

-58.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 £5.12

$3.63 ฿121

90.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.20 £14.23

$13.56 ฿453

41.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 £1.80

$3.24 ฿108

-25.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.64 ฿54.6

-21.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$2.33 ฿77.9

-0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 £2.29

$2.07 ฿69.2

49.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 £0.85

$1.55 ฿51.7

-26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.46 ฿48.58

-9.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.73

$0.98 ฿32.88

1.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.08

$0.48 ฿16.11

204.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.94 £16.27

$4.35 ฿145

404.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 £7.07

$18.57 ฿620

-48.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 £1.99

$1.86 ฿62.0

44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 £1.88

$2.65 ฿88.7

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.98

$1.42 ฿47.32

88.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £78.9

$11.57 ฿386

820.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 £4.93

$3.17 ฿106

109.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.03 ฿34.45

66.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.98 £16.30

$13.89 ฿464

58.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.34 ฿44.88

44.78%

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

$38.9K £28.8K

$27.8K ฿927.9K

39.89%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

17.20%

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

$335 £249

$123 ฿4,109

172.58%

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

$16.41 £12.17

$13.77 ฿460

19.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.34 £33.62

$18.33 ฿612

147.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.84 £29.54

$60.7 ฿2,026

-34.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.43 £10.70

$17.16 ฿573

-15.91%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 £9.17

$8.87 ฿296

39.46%

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

$1,495 £1,109

$688 ฿23.0K

117.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$15.8K ฿526.9K

32.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 £56.3

$59.3 ฿1,980

28.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 £25.60

$34.69 ฿1,158

-0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.7

$115 ฿3,846

-10.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £80.7

$83.8 ฿2,797

29.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 £991

$621 ฿20.7K

115.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 £738

$446 ฿14.9K

123.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 £1,919

$2,034 ฿67.9K

27.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 £1,819

$1,496 ฿50.0K

63.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,424 £4,022

$3,455 ฿115.4K

57.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 £4,780

$2,531 ฿84.5K

154.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,124 £2,317

$494 ฿16.5K

532.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.72

5.33

7.32%

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

Last update for Exeter: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,336 in Exeter and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Exeter pays 533% 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: $88.0 in Exeter vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $291, with Exeter 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

Exeter vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Exeter and Phuket differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,386 vs $1,264 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 533% higher in Exeter, 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: $1,336 in Exeter versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $88.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,386 per month in Exeter versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,386 in Exeter, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Exeter. 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, Exeter 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 89% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.