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: $1,988 in Middlesbrough versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,839 in Middlesbrough versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,689 in Middlesbrough versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Middlesbrough is roughly 59% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middlesbrough is 48% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.07

$4.59 ฿147

343.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 £54.5

$46.83 ฿1,501

57.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 £7.53

$8.70 ฿279

16.90%

Cappuccino

$4.26 £3.16

$2.92 ฿93.7

45.89%

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

$1.93 £1.43

$0.68 ฿21.92

183.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.06

$0.40 ฿12.70

257.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 £4.10

$2.51 ฿80.4

120.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 £3.96

$3.80 ฿122

40.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 £1.19

$2.16 ฿69.3

-25.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.88 ฿60.3

-12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 £1.95

$2.16 ฿69.2

21.76%

Eggs

$4.11 £3.04

$2.22 ฿71.2

85.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 £5.05

$19.57 ฿627

-65.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.64 £5.66

$3.80 ฿122

101.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 £7.01

$13.41 ฿430

-29.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 £1.90

$3.26 ฿104

-21.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 £1.67

$1.61 ฿51.7

39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 £1.65

$2.31 ฿74.0

-3.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 £2.06

$2.06 ฿66.0

34.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.61 ฿51.5

8.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 £1.01

$1.44 ฿46.26

-4.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.03 ฿33.01

39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.38

$0.48 ฿15.39

289.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.25 £13.52

$4.50 ฿144

305.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.07 £9.69

$19.18 ฿615

-31.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 £2.80

$1.82 ฿58.4

107.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 £3.98

$2.69 ฿86.2

99.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 £3.06

$1.38 ฿44.16

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 £71.5

$11.76 ฿377

720.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 £4.57

$3.11 ฿99.6

98.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 £0.88

$1.00 ฿32.18

19.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.42 £12.17

$13.74 ฿441

19.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.30 ฿41.61

43.85%

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

$30.7K £22.8K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

12.28%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

18.55%

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

$286 £212

$125 ฿4,004

129.19%

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

$16.87 £12.50

$13.74 ฿440

22.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.36 £31.39

$18.61 ฿597

127.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 £39.74

$60.6 ฿1,941

-11.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.90 £15.48

$17.15 ฿550

21.87%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 £9.50

$9.01 ฿289

42.29%

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

$932 £691

$698 ฿22.4K

33.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K £15.2K

$16.1K ฿516.5K

27.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.4 £60.4

$59.2 ฿1,898

37.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.84 £31.75

$34.86 ฿1,118

22.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 £64.4

$114 ฿3,662

-23.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 £54.1

$85.8 ฿2,751

-14.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 £675

$619 ฿19.8K

47.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 £530

$437 ฿14.0K

63.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 £767

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-50.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$968 £717

$1,509 ฿48.4K

-35.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,621 £1,942

$3,764 ฿120.7K

-30.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 £1,657

$2,694 ฿86.4K

-17.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,655 £1,967

$528 ฿16.9K

402.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

5.33

5.07%

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

Last update for Middlesbrough: April 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $911 in Middlesbrough and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middlesbrough pays 402% 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 in Middlesbrough vs $47 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $292, with Middlesbrough 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

Middlesbrough vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middlesbrough and Phuket differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($1,988 vs $1,247 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Middlesbrough pays 402% 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: $911 in Middlesbrough versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Middlesbrough pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $74.0 in Middlesbrough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,988 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 59% less than in Middlesbrough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.