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: $2,505 in Exeter versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Exeter versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,391 in Exeter versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Exeter is roughly 103% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Exeter is 83% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 £14.86

$4.41 ฿146

354.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 £73.3

$32.26 ฿1,071

206.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.37 £6.94

$8.93 ฿297

4.93%

Cappuccino

$5.08 £3.76

$2.90 ฿96.1

75.17%

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

$3.15 £2.33

$0.88 ฿29.22

257.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 £1.80

$0.48 ฿15.97

406.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 £5.35

$2.35 ฿78.1

207.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 £4.66

$3.72 ฿124

69.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.87 ฿61.9

-19.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.47 ฿48.68

12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.55 ฿51.5

12.26%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.24

$2.10 ฿69.8

108.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 £6.65

$19.59 ฿650

-54.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.96 £6.64

$3.42 ฿114

161.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.15 £17.89

$11.38 ฿378

112.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 £2.25

$2.98 ฿99.1

2.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.68 ฿55.9

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 £1.96

$2.21 ฿73.3

19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.16 £2.34

$2.16 ฿71.8

46.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$1.52 ฿50.6

52.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.34 ฿44.43

47.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.13 ฿37.47

43.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$0.55 ฿18.14

243.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.38 £18.06

$4.26 ฿142

472.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 £6.85

$19.09 ฿634

-51.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.63 £2.69

$1.78 ฿59.1

103.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 £3.26

$2.78 ฿92.4

58.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.93

$2.23 ฿74.0

77.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 £79.2

$22.74 ฿755

370.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.80 £4.30

$3.03 ฿101

91.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 £1.89

$1.02 ฿33.96

150.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.15 £17.89

$3.89 ฿129

520.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.49 ฿49.50

34.90%

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

$39.5K £29.3K

$26.6K ฿882.5K

48.72%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$27.0K ฿897.4K

52.51%

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

$475 £352

$102 ฿3,402

363.30%

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

$15.89 £11.77

$11.33 ฿376

40.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.57 £34.49

$17.40 ฿578

167.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.46 £32.93

$52.1 ฿1,729

-14.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.39 £9.92

$11.07 ฿368

20.96%

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 £9.53

$7.69 ฿255

67.36%

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

$1,470 £1,089

$561 ฿18.6K

162.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K £13.1K

$11.5K ฿382.0K

54.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 £50.9

$63.0 ฿2,093

9.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.74 £23.51

$29.52 ฿980

7.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.0

$98.0 ฿3,254

4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 £81.1

$88.5 ฿2,938

23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 £871

$738 ฿24.5K

59.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 £690

$482 ฿16.0K

93.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 £1,871

$2,107 ฿69.9K

19.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 £1,551

$1,226 ฿40.7K

70.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,439 £4,029

$3,617 ฿120.1K

50.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,608 £4,895

$2,603 ฿86.4K

153.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,117 £2,309

$494 ฿16.4K

531.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

5.57

-8.26%

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

Last update for Exeter: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,176 in Exeter and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Exeter pays 531% 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: $99.0 in Exeter vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $274 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

Exeter vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Exeter and Phuket differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($2,505 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 531% 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: $1,176 in Exeter versus $738 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 $32.00 versus $99.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,505 per month in Exeter versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,505 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 103% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.