Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,300 in Motherwell versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,379 in Motherwell versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Motherwell versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Motherwell is roughly 87% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Motherwell is 68% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.47 £15.30

$4.41 ฿147

364.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 £49.92

$32.26 ฿1,077

107.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 £7.58

$8.93 ฿298

13.66%

Cappuccino

$4.76 £3.56

$2.90 ฿96.6

64.14%

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

$2.20 £1.64

$0.88 ฿29.38

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.35

$0.48 ฿16.06

277.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 £4.41

$2.35 ฿78.5

151.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.14

$3.72 ฿124

84.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 £1.09

$1.87 ฿62.3

-21.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 £1.04

$1.47 ฿48.94

-5.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 £1.67

$1.55 ฿51.8

43.87%

Eggs

$3.78 £2.83

$2.10 ฿70.1

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 £7.37

$19.59 ฿654

-49.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.76 £7.30

$3.42 ฿114

185.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 £13.18

$11.38 ฿380

55.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 £2.23

$2.98 ฿99.6

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.68 ฿56.2

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 £2.14

$2.21 ฿73.7

29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 £2.32

$2.16 ฿72.1

43.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.52 ฿50.9

22.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 £1.04

$1.34 ฿44.67

3.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.13 ฿37.67

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.20

$0.55 ฿18.24

190.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.68 £16.95

$4.26 ฿142

432.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.66 £7.96

$19.09 ฿637

-44.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 £2.20

$1.78 ฿59.4

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.78 ฿92.9

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.57 £2.67

$2.23 ฿74.4

60.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.0 £70.3

$22.74 ฿759

313.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.06 £4.53

$3.03 ฿101

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.02 ฿34.15

15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 £21.53

$3.89 ฿130

640.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.49 ฿49.77

38.93%

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

$39.5K £29.5K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

48.56%

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

$41.3K £30.8K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

52.62%

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

$259 £193

$102 ฿3,420

152.67%

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

$19.63 £14.67

$11.33 ฿378

73.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.36 £30.91

$17.40 ฿581

137.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 £35.64

$52.1 ฿1,738

-8.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.80 £5.08

$11.07 ฿370

-38.57%

Cinema Ticket

$12.35 £9.23

$7.69 ฿257

60.60%

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

$941 £703

$561 ฿18.7K

67.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K £13.2K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

54.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$124 £92.8

$63.0 ฿2,104

96.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.50 £36.24

$29.52 ฿986

64.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.8

$98.0 ฿3,272

4.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 £69.3

$88.5 ฿2,954

4.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 £935

$738 ฿24.6K

69.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 £776

$482 ฿16.1K

115.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 £1,555

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-1.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 £1,242

$1,226 ฿40.9K

35.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,091 £3,804

$3,617 ฿120.7K

40.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,935 £2,941

$2,603 ฿86.9K

51.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Motherwell: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Motherwell and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Motherwell vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $274 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

Motherwell 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 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,450 in Motherwell and $1,847 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: $1,251 in Motherwell versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Motherwell. 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 $32.00 versus $67.0 in Motherwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,300 in Motherwell, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Motherwell. 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 Motherwell, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Motherwell 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 87% less than in Motherwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.