Cost of Living Comparison Between Lerwick and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Lerwick and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,312 in Lerwick versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,374 in Lerwick versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,435 in Lerwick versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 83% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lerwick is 73% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.16 £15.12

$4.70 ฿154

328.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 £61.0

$45.37 ฿1,488

79.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 £7.60

$8.43 ฿276

20.28%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.45

$2.93 ฿96.0

57.34%

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

$2.29 £1.71

$0.69 ฿22.48

231.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.20

$0.37 ฿12.04

332.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 £4.68

$2.41 ฿79.0

158.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 £4.51

$3.72 ฿122

61.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.18

$2.23 ฿73.2

-29.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.83 ฿60.1

-12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 £1.65

$2.17 ฿71.1

0.92%

Eggs

$3.88 £2.91

$2.21 ฿72.6

75.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 £7.55

$19.74 ฿647

-49.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 £6.75

$3.63 ฿119

148.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 £10.36

$13.53 ฿444

2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.34

$3.28 ฿107

-4.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.23

$1.61 ฿52.8

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 £2.15

$2.41 ฿79.0

18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.70

$2.08 ฿68.3

73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.53 ฿50.1

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.11

$1.48 ฿48.56

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.80

$0.99 ฿32.42

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.11

$0.51 ฿16.73

190.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.37 £14.53

$4.41 ฿144

339.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.38

$19.38 ฿636

-42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 £2.11

$1.78 ฿58.3

58.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.33

$2.71 ฿88.9

14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 £2.45

$1.37 ฿44.96

138.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 £67.0

$11.39 ฿374

684.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 £4.16

$3.02 ฿99.0

83.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.15

$0.99 ฿32.61

54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 £17.04

$14.10 ฿462

61.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.36 ฿44.68

42.65%

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

$38.3K £28.7K

$28.2K ฿924.7K

35.71%

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

$40.8K £30.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

23.95%

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

$296 £222

$122 ฿3,991

142.82%

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

$17.23 £12.92

$13.57 ฿445

26.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.36 £32.51

$18.31 ฿600

136.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.04 £33.77

$60.2 ฿1,975

-25.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 £10.28

$8.69 ฿285

57.77%

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

$1,576 £1,182

$693 ฿22.7K

127.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.9K

$15.7K ฿514.4K

17.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 £62.1

$59.5 ฿1,952

39.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.14 £32.35

$34.77 ฿1,140

24.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 £69.6

$115 ฿3,758

-19.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 £72.7

$83.3 ฿2,731

16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 £918

$613 ฿20.1K

99.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £758

$437 ฿14.3K

131.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 £1,555

$2,094 ฿68.7K

-0.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 £1,285

$1,509 ฿49.5K

13.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,753 £3,564

$3,749 ฿122.9K

26.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

5.33

5.63%

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

Last update for Lerwick: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Lerwick and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Lerwick vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 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

Lerwick vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,468 in Lerwick and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,224 in Lerwick versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,312 per month in Lerwick versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 684% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,312 in Lerwick, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lerwick. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lerwick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lerwick 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 83% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.