🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $892 in Fort Wellington versus $1,265 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,535 in Fort Wellington versus $2,297 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,177 in Fort Wellington versus $3,329 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Fort Wellington costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Fort Wellington33% lower, Phuket6% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.10GYD 2,516
$4.70฿153
157.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.2GYD 14.8K
$45.37฿1,482
56.89%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.86GYD 1,841
$8.43฿275
5.10%
Cappuccino
$5.12GYD 1,065
$2.93฿95.6
74.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21GYD 251
$0.69฿22.40
75.36%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69GYD 144
$0.37฿11.99
86.49%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.98GYD 412
$2.41฿78.6
-17.84%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41GYD 501
$3.72฿122
-35.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$3.45GYD 717
$2.23฿72.9
54.71%
White Bread(500g)
$2.12GYD 442
$1.83฿59.8
15.85%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.00GYD 415
$2.17฿70.8
-7.83%
Eggs
$4.11GYD 855
$2.21฿72.3
85.97%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.65GYD 2,838
$19.74฿645
-30.85%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.25GYD 1,300
$3.63฿119
72.18%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$9.71GYD 2,019
$13.53฿442
-28.23%
Apples(1kg)
$9.68GYD 2,011
$3.28฿107
195.12%
Banana(1kg)
$2.56GYD 533
$1.61฿52.6
59.01%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.19GYD 663
$2.41฿78.6
32.37%
Tomato(1kg)
$6.49GYD 1,350
$2.08฿68.1
212.02%
Potato(1kg)
$2.41GYD 502
$1.53฿49.93
57.52%
Onion(1kg)
$2.95GYD 614
$1.48฿48.36
99.32%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.37GYD 492
$0.99฿32.29
139.39%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52GYD 316
$0.51฿16.67
198.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.63GYD 546
$4.41฿144
-40.36%
Wine(Bottle)
$16.98GYD 3,531
$19.38฿633
-12.38%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76GYD 366
$1.78฿58.1
-1.12%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44GYD 508
$2.71฿88.6
-9.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$1.37฿44.79
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.39฿372
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.05GYD 633
$3.02฿98.6
0.99%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
-
$0.99฿32.48
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$11.95GYD 2,484
$14.10฿461
-15.25%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.00GYD 208
$1.36฿44.51
-26.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.9KGYD 4.6M
$28.2K฿921.1K
-22.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.3KGYD 3.6M
$32.9K฿1.1M
-47.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$90.6GYD 18.8K
$122฿3,975
-25.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.40GYD 5,697
$13.57฿443
101.92%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.1GYD 10.8K
$18.31฿598
184.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$60.2฿1,967
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.14฿560
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.77GYD 1,408
$8.69฿284
-22.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,007GYD 209.3K
$693฿22.6K
45.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$22.9KGYD 4.8M
$15.7K฿512.3K
46.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.06GYD 7,289
$59.5฿1,944
-41.11%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7GYD 11.2K
$34.77฿1,136
54.39%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$130GYD 27.1K
$115฿3,743
13.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.2GYD 15.8K
$83.3฿2,720
-8.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$613฿20.0K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$437฿14.3K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$2,094฿68.4K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,509฿49.3K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,749฿122.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,616฿85.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$981GYD 203.9K
$508฿16.6K
92.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.5
5.33
40.71%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Fort Wellington: May 30, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
💰Fort Wellington pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $71.0 in Fort Wellington vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $293 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
Fort Wellington vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Fort Wellington?
Fort Wellington is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Fort Wellington or Phuket?
Fort Wellington pays 93% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,007 in Fort Wellington versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Fort Wellington or Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Fort Wellington – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Fort Wellington or Phuket?
At $892 in Fort Wellington versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Fort Wellington but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Fort Wellington the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Fort Wellington or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Fort Wellington is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Fort Wellington or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Fort Wellington 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Fort Wellington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Fort Wellington vs other spots: cost of living compared