Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston upon Thames and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,330 in Kingston upon Thames versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,854 in Kingston upon Thames versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,379 in Kingston upon Thames versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Kingston upon Thames is roughly 163% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kingston upon Thames is 149% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.67 £16.85

$4.70 ฿153

382.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.6 £64.4

$45.37 ฿1,482

90.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 £7.63

$8.43 ฿275

21.71%

Cappuccino

$5.29 £3.93

$2.93 ฿95.6

80.55%

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

$2.87 £2.13

$0.69 ฿22.40

315.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$0.37 ฿11.99

405.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 £6.44

$2.41 ฿78.6

259.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.28 £6.16

$3.72 ฿122

122.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.23 ฿72.9

-25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.83 ฿59.8

-15.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$2.17 ฿70.8

29.49%

Eggs

$4.12 £3.06

$2.21 ฿72.3

86.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 £7.48

$19.74 ฿645

-49.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.82 £6.56

$3.63 ฿119

142.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 £11.06

$13.53 ฿442

10.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 £2.53

$3.28 ฿107

3.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.61 ฿52.6

26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 £2.19

$2.41 ฿78.6

22.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 £2.68

$2.08 ฿68.1

73.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.53 ฿49.93

-1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.48 ฿48.36

26.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 £0.78

$0.99 ฿32.29

6.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.44

$0.51 ฿16.67

280.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.64 £13.11

$4.41 ฿144

300.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.34 £8.43

$19.38 ฿633

-41.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.37

$1.78 ฿58.1

78.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 £2.92

$2.71 ฿88.6

45.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 £1.75

$1.37 ฿44.79

72.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.38 £32.25

$11.39 ฿372

280.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.81

$3.02 ฿98.6

69.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 £1.62

$0.99 ฿32.48

120.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.62 £25.73

$14.10 ฿461

145.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.36 ฿44.51

43.38%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

35.55%

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

$39.0K £29.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

18.40%

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

$327 £243

$122 ฿3,975

168.55%

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

$15.81 £11.75

$13.57 ฿443

16.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.55 £30.88

$18.31 ฿598

126.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.6 £67.4

$60.2 ฿1,967

50.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.37 £6.96

$17.14 ฿560

-45.33%

Cinema Ticket

$20.44 £15.19

$8.69 ฿284

135.21%

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

$1,892 £1,407

$693 ฿22.6K

172.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K £13.1K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

12.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.6 £64.4

$59.5 ฿1,944

45.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.69 £31.73

$34.77 ฿1,136

22.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 £64.5

$115 ฿3,743

-24.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 £104

$83.3 ฿2,720

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 £1,540

$613 ฿20.0K

237.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,865 £1,386

$437 ฿14.3K

326.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 £2,769

$2,094 ฿68.4K

77.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,252 £2,417

$1,509 ฿49.3K

115.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.6K £12.3K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

342.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,376 £3,252

$2,616 ฿85.4K

67.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,768 £3,544

$508 ฿16.6K

838.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.33

10.69%

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

Last update for Kingston upon Thames: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,072 in Kingston upon Thames and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston upon Thames pays 838% 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 Kingston upon Thames vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 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

Kingston upon Thames vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston upon Thames and Phuket differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($3,330 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kingston upon Thames pays 838% 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: $2,072 in Kingston upon Thames versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 281% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,892 in Kingston upon Thames versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,330 in Kingston upon Thames, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kingston upon Thames. 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, Kingston upon Thames 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 163% less than in Kingston upon Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.