Cost of Living Comparison Between Newquay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Newquay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Newquay vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,378 per month in Newquay vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,409 per month in Newquay vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.

Newquay costs about 88% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Newquay sits 76% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 £14.89

$4.55 ฿153

339.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.6 £60.0

$46.18 ฿1,553

74.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 £7.11

$8.84 ฿297

8.03%

Cappuccino

$4.09 £3.05

$3.06 ฿103

33.66%

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

$2.36 £1.75

$0.73 ฿24.40

223.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.31

$0.40 ฿13.39

342.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 £4.42

$2.43 ฿81.8

144.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 £4.00

$3.78 ฿127

42.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$2.26 ฿76.0

-27.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 £0.90

$1.81 ฿60.9

-33.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 £1.97

$2.25 ฿75.8

17.78%

Eggs

$3.41 £2.54

$2.25 ฿75.5

51.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 £7.28

$19.51 ฿656

-49.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.90 £5.14

$3.65 ฿123

89.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.40 £9.98

$13.05 ฿439

2.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 £1.99

$3.23 ฿109

-17.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.62 ฿54.4

-8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 £1.71

$2.38 ฿80.1

-3.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 £1.67

$2.03 ฿68.1

10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.53 ฿51.6

11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.50 ฿50.5

-14.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 £0.70

$0.98 ฿32.91

-5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 £1.04

$0.52 ฿17.39

167.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.69 £13.17

$4.44 ฿149

298.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 £8.11

$18.32 ฿616

-40.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 £1.93

$1.86 ฿62.7

39.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 £1.89

$2.68 ฿90.1

-5.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 £2.47

$1.41 ฿47.46

135.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.9 £65.4

$11.70 ฿393

650.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 £2.99

$3.11 ฿105

29.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 £1.89

$1.04 ฿35.06

144.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.40 £18.91

$14.11 ฿474

80.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.31 ฿44.10

42.75%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

36.91%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

16.99%

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

$347 £259

$122 ฿4,118

183.61%

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

$16.50 £12.28

$13.59 ฿457

21.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.78 £33.34

$18.70 ฿629

139.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.86 £35.63

$60.5 ฿2,034

-20.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.25 £7.63

$16.98 ฿571

-39.63%

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 £8.75

$9.07 ฿305

29.55%

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

$2,336 £1,739

$706 ฿23.8K

230.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K £17.9K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

51.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.3 £65.0

$58.6 ฿1,969

49.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.64 £35.47

$35.36 ฿1,189

34.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £75.9

$115 ฿3,883

-11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.8 £67.6

$83.7 ฿2,816

8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 £914

$626 ฿21.0K

96.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 £736

$445 ฿15.0K

122.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,999 £1,488

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,687 £1,256

$1,492 ฿50.2K

13.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,119 £1,578

$500 ฿16.8K

323.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.82

5.33

9.19%

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

Last update for Newquay: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,228 in Newquay versus $626 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 324% higher in Newquay, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Newquay versus $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Newquay vs $289 in Phuket – so Newquay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Newquay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,347 in Newquay, $1,250 in Phuket – roughly 88% apart. Newquay costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,521 per month in Newquay and $1,875 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,347 in Newquay and $1,250 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 651% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Newquay at $2,347. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newquay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,250 in Phuket to $2,347 in Newquay. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Newquay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.