Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkwall and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkwall and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,123 in Kirkwall versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,009 in Kirkwall versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,895 in Kirkwall versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Kirkwall is roughly 69% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kirkwall is 55% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.90 £16.94

$4.56 ฿150

402.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 £69.6

$32.62 ฿1,073

188.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 £7.59

$8.90 ฿293

15.28%

Cappuccino

$4.14 £3.07

$2.80 ฿92.3

47.86%

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

$3.05 £2.26

$0.88 ฿28.96

246.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £0.99

$0.49 ฿16.09

173.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 £4.71

$2.39 ฿78.6

166.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 £5.14

$3.71 ฿122

87.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 £0.63

$1.79 ฿58.8

-52.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.44 ฿47.43

17.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 £1.80

$1.58 ฿52.1

54.43%

Eggs

$3.31 £2.45

$2.13 ฿70.0

55.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.67 £4.94

$19.92 ฿655

-66.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 £6.61

$3.43 ฿113

160.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 £12.28

$11.33 ฿373

46.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 £1.84

$2.95 ฿97.0

-15.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.72 ฿56.6

13.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 £1.57

$2.32 ฿76.5

-8.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.08 ฿68.5

-36.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.47 ฿48.37

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 £0.82

$1.36 ฿44.68

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 £0.59

$1.10 ฿36.15

-28.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 £0.79

$0.57 ฿18.90

85.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.41 £15.10

$4.27 ฿140

377.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.26 £6.85

$18.42 ฿606

-49.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 £2.00

$1.87 ฿61.6

44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.30

$2.92 ฿96.1

6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.64 £2.69

$2.22 ฿73.0

63.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 £70.1

$22.90 ฿753

313.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 £4.14

$3.03 ฿99.7

84.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 £1.91

$1.07 ฿35.34

141.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 £20.37

$3.93 ฿129

600.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.49 ฿49.09

36.24%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$27.1K ฿892.5K

44.08%

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

$42.4K £31.4K

$27.5K ฿903.2K

54.58%

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

$290 £215

$103 ฿3,382

182.30%

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

$31.88 £23.58

$10.99 ฿362

190.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.32 £25.39

$17.51 ฿576

96.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 £28.05

$53.5 ฿1,761

-29.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$10.60 £7.84

$7.48 ฿246

41.71%

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

$1,265 £935

$557 ฿18.3K

127.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K £16.3K

$11.9K ฿390.0K

85.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 £68.1

$64.1 ฿2,108

43.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.83 £33.90

$29.07 ฿957

57.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.8 £70.9

$96.0 ฿3,157

-0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 £108

$90.3 ฿2,972

61.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$969 £717

$730 ฿24.0K

32.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 £606

$500 ฿16.4K

63.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,181 £874

$2,090 ฿68.8K

-43.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 £737

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-17.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,312 £3,930

$3,596 ฿118.3K

47.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,986 £2,949

$2,512 ฿82.7K

58.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,997 £1,478

$503 ฿16.6K

296.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.07

5.57

-8.98%

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

Last update for Kirkwall: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $969 in Kirkwall and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 297% 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: $94.0 in Kirkwall vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $273, with Kirkwall 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

Kirkwall vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkwall and Phuket differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($2,123 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 297% higher in Kirkwall, 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: $969 in Kirkwall versus $730 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 $33.00 versus $94.0 in Kirkwall. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,123 per month in Kirkwall versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,123 in Kirkwall, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kirkwall. 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, Kirkwall 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 69% less than in Kirkwall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.