🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,002 in Fort Wellington versus $1,265 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,677 in Fort Wellington versus $2,089 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,352 in Fort Wellington versus $2,913 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Fort Wellington costs roughly 21% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Fort Wellington27% lower, Phuket8% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.91GYD 3,725
$4.66฿154
284.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.6GYD 14.9K
$32.22฿1,065
122.07%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.60GYD 1,996
$8.68฿287
10.60%
Cappuccino
$5.69GYD 1,183
$2.90฿95.8
96.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.21GYD 251
$0.84฿27.89
44.05%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.65GYD 135
$0.49฿16.16
32.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.86GYD 387
$2.48฿82.0
-25.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38GYD 704
$3.73฿123
-9.38%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$3.16GYD 657
$1.89฿62.3
67.20%
White Bread(500g)
$2.07GYD 430
$1.41฿46.54
46.81%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.01GYD 417
$1.62฿53.6
24.07%
Eggs
$4.00GYD 831
$2.24฿74.1
78.57%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$15.73GYD 3,273
$19.84฿656
-20.72%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.86GYD 1,426
$3.48฿115
97.13%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.82GYD 1,835
$11.37฿376
-22.43%
Apples(1kg)
$8.19GYD 1,702
$2.90฿95.8
182.41%
Banana(1kg)
$3.85GYD 801
$1.72฿57.0
123.84%
Oranges(1kg)
$4.11GYD 854
$2.27฿75.1
81.06%
Tomato(1kg)
$7.21GYD 1,500
$2.13฿70.4
238.50%
Potato(1kg)
$2.37GYD 492
$1.47฿48.72
61.22%
Onion(1kg)
$3.12GYD 649
$1.42฿46.92
119.72%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.99GYD 623
$1.10฿36.25
171.82%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63GYD 338
$0.60฿19.76
171.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.27GYD 680
$4.31฿142
-24.13%
Wine(Bottle)
$16.97GYD 3,529
$18.60฿615
-8.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.80GYD 374
$1.80฿59.5
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52GYD 524
$2.97฿98.0
-15.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$2.25฿74.2
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$23.49฿776
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.39GYD 914
$3.10฿102
41.61%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.45GYD 510
$1.08฿35.56
126.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$12.03GYD 2,502
$3.87฿128
210.85%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.03GYD 215
$1.43฿47.16
-27.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2KGYD 5.7M
$27.8K฿918.0K
-2.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.1KGYD 4.8M
$27.0K฿891.5K
-14.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$119GYD 24.7K
$105฿3,462
13.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.22GYD 4,414
$11.39฿376
86.30%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.79GYD 8,899
$17.54฿580
143.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
-
$54.3฿1,795
-
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.44฿378
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.40GYD 1,331
$7.78฿257
-17.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,009GYD 209.8K
$576฿19.0K
74.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.9KGYD 3.9M
$11.6K฿382.7K
62.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.63GYD 7,826
$63.6฿2,103
-40.87%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.65GYD 8,661
$29.10฿961
43.13%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$134GYD 27.8K
$96.2฿3,179
39.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8GYD 17.8K
$90.0฿2,974
-4.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$733฿24.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$501฿16.5K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
-
$2,126฿70.2K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
-
$1,252฿41.4K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,534฿116.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,622฿86.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fort Wellington
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$967GYD 201.1K
$508฿16.8K
90.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6.94
5.57
24.60%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Fort Wellington: September 5, 2026
Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026
Cost Breakdown
💰Fort Wellington pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $72.0 in Fort Wellington vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $275 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 Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Fort Wellington or Phuket?
Average pay runs 91% higher in Fort Wellington, 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 $1,009 in Fort Wellington versus $576 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 in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Fort Wellington – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Fort Wellington or in Phuket?
At $1,002 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 26% 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