Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesex and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesex and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,425 in Middlesex versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,482 in Middlesex versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,539 in Middlesex versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Middlesex is roughly 94% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middlesex is 77% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.30 £15.01

$4.56 ฿150

345.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 £51.9

$32.62 ฿1,073

115.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 £7.64

$8.90 ฿293

16.07%

Cappuccino

$3.59 £2.65

$2.80 ฿92.3

28.21%

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

$2.21 £1.63

$0.88 ฿28.96

151.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 £1.56

$0.49 ฿16.09

330.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 £3.32

$2.39 ฿78.6

87.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 £3.21

$3.71 ฿122

16.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.79 ฿58.8

-26.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.44 ฿47.43

-3.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 £2.80

$1.58 ฿52.1

139.24%

Eggs

$3.71 £2.74

$2.13 ฿70.0

74.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 £5.96

$19.92 ฿655

-59.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.29 £5.39

$3.43 ฿113

112.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 £10.56

$11.33 ฿373

25.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.47

$2.95 ฿97.0

12.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 £0.73

$1.72 ฿56.6

-42.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 £0.73

$2.32 ฿76.5

-57.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 £2.91

$2.08 ฿68.5

89.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 £1.32

$1.47 ฿48.37

21.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 £1.31

$1.36 ฿44.68

30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 £0.72

$1.10 ฿36.15

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.51

$0.57 ฿18.90

257.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.37 £17.29

$4.27 ฿140

447.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 £7.09

$18.42 ฿606

-47.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.15 £3.81

$1.87 ฿61.6

175.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 £2.70

$2.92 ฿96.1

24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.54 £2.62

$2.22 ฿73.0

59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.4 £70.6

$22.90 ฿753

316.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 £3.25

$3.03 ฿99.7

44.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.07 ฿35.34

92.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.57 £24.84

$3.93 ฿129

754.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.51

$1.49 ฿49.09

36.24%

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

$38.9K £28.8K

$27.1K ฿892.5K

43.33%

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

$41.1K £30.4K

$27.5K ฿903.2K

49.77%

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

$368 £272

$103 ฿3,382

257.78%

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

$25.62 £18.95

$10.99 ฿362

133.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.33 £30.58

$17.51 ฿576

136.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.48 £35.12

$53.5 ฿1,761

-11.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$17.75 £13.13

$7.48 ฿246

137.30%

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

$825 £610

$557 ฿18.3K

48.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K £16.6K

$11.9K ฿390.0K

88.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 £81.3

$64.1 ฿2,108

71.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 £42.26

$29.07 ฿957

96.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £85.3

$96.0 ฿3,157

20.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 £96.5

$90.3 ฿2,972

44.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 £916

$730 ฿24.0K

69.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 £783

$500 ฿16.4K

111.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 £1,577

$2,090 ฿68.8K

1.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 £1,274

$1,209 ฿39.8K

42.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,180 £3,832

$3,596 ฿118.3K

44.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,902 £2,887

$2,512 ฿82.7K

55.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

5.57

-0.72%

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

Last update for Middlesex: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Middlesex and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Middlesex vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 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

Middlesex vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,638 in Middlesex 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: $1,238 in Middlesex versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,425 per month in Middlesex versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 317% less than in Middlesex. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,425 in Middlesex, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Middlesex. 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 Middlesex, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Middlesex 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 94% less than in Middlesex. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.