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: $2,377 in Exeter versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,895 in Exeter versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,414 in Exeter versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Exeter is roughly 94% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Exeter is 78% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.56 £15.32

$4.51 ฿147

355.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 £64.8

$46.62 ฿1,515

86.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 £7.51

$8.49 ฿276

18.85%

Cappuccino

$4.42 £3.29

$3.08 ฿100

43.51%

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

$3.05 £2.27

$0.68 ฿22.07

348.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.30

$0.36 ฿11.75

383.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 £5.60

$2.43 ฿78.8

209.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 £4.45

$3.63 ฿118

64.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 £1.33

$2.19 ฿71.1

-18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.81 ฿59.0

4.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 £1.28

$2.23 ฿72.5

-22.87%

Eggs

$4.88 £3.64

$2.24 ฿72.7

117.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 £6.16

$19.60 ฿637

-57.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 £5.05

$3.72 ฿121

82.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.18 £14.29

$13.47 ฿438

42.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 £1.74

$3.36 ฿109

-30.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.62 ฿52.5

-23.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 £1.72

$2.41 ฿78.3

-4.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 £2.35

$1.99 ฿64.6

58.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 £0.81

$1.53 ฿49.76

-28.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.45 ฿47.19

-11.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$1.01 ฿32.96

3.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 £1.04

$0.48 ฿15.73

191.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.57 £16.07

$4.27 ฿139

405.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 £7.19

$19.12 ฿621

-49.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 £1.98

$1.84 ฿59.7

44.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 £1.93

$2.74 ฿89.1

-5.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 £2.07

$1.42 ฿46.06

95.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £78.5

$11.72 ฿381

798.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 £5.02

$3.00 ฿97.6

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.05 ฿34.00

56.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.97 £16.37

$13.90 ฿452

58.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.29 ฿41.94

53.49%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

38.07%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

15.78%

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

$346 £258

$122 ฿3,964

183.43%

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

$16.03 £11.94

$13.93 ฿453

15.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.36 £33.79

$18.87 ฿613

140.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.65 £29.53

$61.3 ฿1,992

-35.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.29 £10.64

$16.84 ฿547

-15.14%

Cinema Ticket

$12.00 £8.94

$8.89 ฿289

34.98%

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

$1,499 £1,116

$691 ฿22.5K

116.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K £15.8K

$16.2K ฿525.2K

30.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 £57.1

$57.8 ฿1,878

32.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.22 £25.49

$35.39 ฿1,150

-3.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$113 ฿3,685

-10.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 £83.1

$83.0 ฿2,698

34.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 £1,000

$607 ฿19.7K

121.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 £744

$448 ฿14.6K

122.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 £1,886

$2,029 ฿66.0K

24.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,455 £1,828

$1,493 ฿48.5K

64.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,365 £3,996

$3,585 ฿116.5K

49.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,696 £4,987

$2,585 ฿84.0K

159.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 £2,287

$505 ฿16.4K

508.23%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,343 in Exeter and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Exeter pays 508% 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: $87.0 in Exeter vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $292, 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 94% in total monthly costs ($2,377 vs $1,223 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Exeter pays 508% 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: $1,343 in Exeter versus $607 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 $47.00 versus $87.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,377 per month in Exeter versus $1,223 in Phuket – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,377 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 94% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.