Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesbrough and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,157 in Middlesbrough versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,127 in Middlesbrough versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,097 in Middlesbrough versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Middlesbrough is roughly 72% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middlesbrough is 57% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.11 £17.82

$4.56 ฿150

428.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 £54.4

$32.62 ฿1,073

125.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £7.98

$8.90 ฿293

21.35%

Cappuccino

$4.82 £3.56

$2.80 ฿92.2

72.14%

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

$2.43 £1.80

$0.88 ฿28.94

176.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 £1.40

$0.49 ฿16.08

285.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.86 £5.07

$2.39 ฿78.5

187.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 £5.45

$3.71 ฿122

98.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.79 ฿58.8

-26.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.44 ฿47.40

0.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 £1.85

$1.58 ฿52.1

58.23%

Eggs

$3.60 £2.66

$2.13 ฿69.9

69.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 £5.73

$19.92 ฿655

-61.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.23 £5.34

$3.43 ฿113

110.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 £10.94

$11.33 ฿372

30.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 £1.80

$2.95 ฿97.0

-17.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 £1.79

$1.72 ฿56.6

40.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$2.32 ฿76.5

14.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$2.08 ฿68.4

27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.47 ฿48.34

20.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.17

$1.36 ฿44.65

16.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.87

$1.10 ฿36.13

7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 £2.31

$0.57 ฿18.89

449.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.42 £17.31

$4.27 ฿140

448.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.41 £9.18

$18.42 ฿606

-32.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.31 £3.19

$1.87 ฿61.5

130.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 £4.63

$2.92 ฿96.1

114.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.64 £4.17

$2.22 ฿73.0

154.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.4 £69.8

$22.90 ฿753

312.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 £3.24

$3.03 ฿99.6

44.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.56 £20.37

$3.93 ฿129

601.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.49 ฿49.06

36.91%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

44.05%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

48.10%

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

$358 £264

$103 ฿3,380

248.04%

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

$17.30 £12.79

$10.99 ฿361

57.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.46 £31.39

$17.51 ฿576

142.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.4 £38.70

$53.5 ฿1,760

-2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.53 £24.79

$11.20 ฿368

199.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 £11.08

$7.48 ฿246

100.40%

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

$816 £603

$557 ฿18.3K

46.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.2K £29.7K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

239.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 £77.2

$64.1 ฿2,107

63.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 £40.54

$29.07 ฿956

88.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £84.5

$96.0 ฿3,155

19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £79.7

$90.3 ฿2,970

19.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 £714

$730 ฿24.0K

32.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 £518

$500 ฿16.4K

40.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,134 £838

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-45.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 £731

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-18.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,318 £1,713

$503 ฿16.6K

360.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

5.57

1.26%

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

Last update for Middlesbrough: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $966 in Middlesbrough and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middlesbrough pays 360% 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: $74.0 in Middlesbrough vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 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

Middlesbrough vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middlesbrough and Phuket differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($2,157 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 360% higher in Middlesbrough, 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: $966 in Middlesbrough versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Middlesbrough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $74.0 in Middlesbrough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,157 in Middlesbrough, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Middlesbrough. 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, Middlesbrough 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 72% less than in Middlesbrough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.