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: $1,975 in Middlesbrough versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,797 in Middlesbrough versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,618 in Middlesbrough versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Middlesbrough is roughly 56% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middlesbrough is 47% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 £14.94

$4.70 ฿153

326.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 £54.6

$45.37 ฿1,482

61.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 £7.68

$8.43 ฿275

22.30%

Cappuccino

$4.42 £3.29

$2.93 ฿95.6

50.85%

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

$1.96 £1.46

$0.69 ฿22.40

184.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 £1.06

$0.37 ฿11.99

283.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 £4.06

$2.41 ฿78.6

126.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 £4.16

$3.72 ฿122

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.23 ฿72.9

-28.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.83 ฿59.8

-6.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 £1.99

$2.17 ฿70.8

23.50%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.97

$2.21 ฿72.3

80.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.08 £5.27

$19.74 ฿645

-64.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 £5.57

$3.63 ฿119

105.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 £7.35

$13.53 ฿442

-27.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 £1.97

$3.28 ฿107

-19.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 £1.68

$1.61 ฿52.6

39.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 £1.70

$2.41 ฿78.6

-5.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 £1.97

$2.08 ฿68.1

26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.53 ฿49.93

13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.48 ฿48.36

-10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 £1.03

$0.99 ฿32.29

39.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$0.51 ฿16.67

264.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.66 £13.90

$4.41 ฿144

323.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 £10.90

$19.38 ฿633

-24.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 £2.82

$1.78 ฿58.1

112.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.19 £3.87

$2.71 ฿88.6

91.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.10 £3.05

$1.37 ฿44.79

199.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 £71.9

$11.39 ฿372

747.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 £4.66

$3.02 ฿98.6

107.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 £0.86

$0.99 ฿32.48

16.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.36 £12.19

$14.10 ฿461

16.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.36 ฿44.51

44.12%

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

$30.5K £22.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

8.07%

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

$39.6K £29.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

20.23%

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

$286 £213

$122 ฿3,975

135.35%

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

$17.07 £12.72

$13.57 ฿443

25.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.37 £31.57

$18.31 ฿598

131.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 £40.44

$60.2 ฿1,967

-9.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.23 £15.82

$17.14 ฿560

23.86%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 £9.70

$8.69 ฿284

49.83%

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

$965 £719

$693 ฿22.6K

39.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K £15.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

31.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 £58.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

32.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 £32.87

$34.77 ฿1,136

26.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 £63.2

$115 ฿3,743

-25.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 £52.8

$83.3 ฿2,720

-14.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 £686

$613 ฿20.0K

50.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 £521

$437 ฿14.3K

60.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 £774

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 £718

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-36.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,738 £2,040

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-26.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 £1,702

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-12.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,380 £1,773

$508 ฿16.6K

368.36%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $920 in Middlesbrough and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middlesbrough pays 368% 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: $73.0 in Middlesbrough vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $293, 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 56% in total monthly costs ($1,975 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Middlesbrough pays 368% 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: $920 in Middlesbrough versus $613 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 $45.00 versus $73.0 in Middlesbrough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,975 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 56% less than in Middlesbrough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.