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: $2,381 in Lerwick versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,500 in Lerwick versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,619 in Lerwick versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 90% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lerwick is 73% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.33 £15.78

$4.56 ฿150

367.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 £65.0

$32.62 ฿1,073

169.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 £8.02

$8.90 ฿293

21.80%

Cappuccino

$5.01 £3.70

$2.80 ฿92.3

78.93%

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

$2.56 £1.89

$0.88 ฿28.96

190.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.32

$0.49 ฿16.09

265.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 £5.06

$2.39 ฿78.6

186.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 £4.74

$3.71 ฿122

72.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.79 ฿58.8

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.44 ฿47.43

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 £1.65

$1.58 ฿52.1

41.14%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.94

$2.13 ฿70.0

86.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 £6.89

$19.92 ฿655

-53.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 £6.69

$3.43 ฿113

163.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.90 £11.03

$11.33 ฿373

31.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 £2.23

$2.95 ฿97.0

2.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.72 ฿56.6

-4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$2.32 ฿76.5

21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 £2.45

$2.08 ฿68.5

59.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.29

$1.47 ฿48.37

19.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.36 ฿44.68

15.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.10 ฿36.15

14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.12

$0.57 ฿18.90

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.09 £17.83

$4.27 ฿140

464.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 £8.27

$18.42 ฿606

-39.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 £2.17

$1.87 ฿61.6

57.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.52

$2.92 ฿96.1

16.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 £2.70

$2.22 ฿73.0

64.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.0 £71.8

$22.90 ฿753

323.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 £3.77

$3.03 ฿99.7

67.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 £1.52

$1.07 ฿35.34

92.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.29 £17.97

$3.93 ฿129

518.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.49 ฿49.09

30.87%

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

$40.1K £29.7K

$27.1K ฿892.5K

47.91%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$27.5K ฿903.2K

49.64%

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

$328 £243

$103 ฿3,382

219.09%

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

$17.85 £13.20

$10.99 ฿362

62.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.61 £32.27

$17.51 ฿576

149.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.25 £35.69

$53.5 ฿1,761

-9.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 £10.45

$7.48 ฿246

88.90%

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

$1,661 £1,229

$557 ฿18.3K

198.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.1K £16.3K

$11.9K ฿390.0K

86.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 £68.5

$64.1 ฿2,108

44.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.78 £34.61

$29.07 ฿957

60.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 £73.5

$96.0 ฿3,157

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.6

$90.3 ฿2,972

11.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 £929

$730 ฿24.0K

71.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 £757

$500 ฿16.4K

104.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 £1,586

$2,090 ฿68.8K

2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,726 £1,277

$1,209 ฿39.8K

42.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,289 £3,913

$3,596 ฿118.3K

47.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,093 £3,028

$2,512 ฿82.7K

62.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

5.57

-8.26%

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

Last update for Lerwick: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,255 in Lerwick and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88.0 in Lerwick vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $273 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,571 in Lerwick and $1,880 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: $1,255 in Lerwick versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,381 per month in Lerwick versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 324% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,381 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 90% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.