Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aberdeen Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aberdeen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $2,209 in Aberdeen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $3,452 in Aberdeen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $4,695 in Aberdeen, rent included.

Phuket is about 44% cheaper than Aberdeen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Phuket sits 8% below the global median, while Aberdeen is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Phuket
Aberdeen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 āļŋ151
$21.45 ÂĢ15.87
-78.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84 āļŋ1,523
$82.2 ÂĢ60.8
-43.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.84 āļŋ287
$10.03 ÂĢ7.42
-11.86%
Cappuccino
$3.00 āļŋ97.4
$4.50 ÂĢ3.33
-33.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 āļŋ24.11
$2.04 ÂĢ1.51
-63.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 āļŋ11.88
$1.51 ÂĢ1.12
-75.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 āļŋ79.3
$6.16 ÂĢ4.56
-60.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 āļŋ117
$6.93 ÂĢ5.13
-47.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Aberdeen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 āļŋ73.5
$1.71 ÂĢ1.27
32.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 āļŋ59.8
$1.66 ÂĢ1.23
10.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 āļŋ73.0
$1.85 ÂĢ1.37
21.08%
Eggs
$2.32 āļŋ75.3
$4.16 ÂĢ3.08
-44.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.67 āļŋ639
$8.76 ÂĢ6.48
124.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.65 āļŋ119
$11.73 ÂĢ8.68
-68.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 āļŋ426
$13.48 ÂĢ9.97
-2.82%
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 āļŋ110
$3.04 ÂĢ2.25
11.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 āļŋ53.4
$1.67 ÂĢ1.23
-1.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 āļŋ78.5
$2.82 ÂĢ2.09
-14.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 āļŋ66.0
$4.17 ÂĢ3.09
-51.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 āļŋ50.6
$1.19 ÂĢ0.88
31.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 āļŋ48.66
$1.39 ÂĢ1.03
7.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 āļŋ33.30
$1.20 ÂĢ0.89
-15.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 āļŋ15.91
$1.41 ÂĢ1.04
-65.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45 āļŋ145
$19.13 ÂĢ14.15
-76.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.88 āļŋ614
$11.35 ÂĢ8.40
66.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 āļŋ57.7
$2.27 ÂĢ1.68
-21.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 āļŋ89.5
$2.36 ÂĢ1.75
16.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Aberdeen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 āļŋ45.54
$5.45 ÂĢ4.03
-74.31%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.48 āļŋ373
$109 ÂĢ80.7
-89.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 āļŋ101
$4.74 ÂĢ3.51
-34.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 āļŋ32.48
$1.70 ÂĢ1.26
-41.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.09 āļŋ458
$34.90 ÂĢ25.83
-59.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 āļŋ43.93
$1.95 ÂĢ1.44
-30.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K āļŋ883.7K
$38.6K ÂĢ28.6K
-29.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
$40.8K ÂĢ30.2K
-19.25%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Aberdeen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 āļŋ4,063
$407 ÂĢ301
-69.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57 āļŋ441
$24.46 ÂĢ18.10
-44.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52 āļŋ602
$44.90 ÂĢ33.23
-58.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Aberdeen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 āļŋ1,999
$63.8 ÂĢ47.23
-3.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84 āļŋ547
$10.58 ÂĢ7.83
59.17%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19 āļŋ299
$9.02 ÂĢ6.68
1.88%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Aberdeen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$698 āļŋ22.7K
$1,882 ÂĢ1,393
-62.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K āļŋ506.9K
$15.6K ÂĢ11.6K
-0.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Aberdeen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 āļŋ1,878
$82.5 ÂĢ61.1
-30.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24 āļŋ1,146
$41.01 ÂĢ30.35
-14.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 āļŋ3,677
$95.2 ÂĢ70.4
18.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4 āļŋ2,808
$120 ÂĢ88.9
-28.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Aberdeen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 āļŋ20.0K
$883 ÂĢ653
-30.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$446 āļŋ14.5K
$780 ÂĢ577
-42.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 āļŋ66.6K
$1,662 ÂĢ1,230
23.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 āļŋ48.5K
$1,594 ÂĢ1,180
-6.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,779 āļŋ122.8K
$2,338 ÂĢ1,730
61.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,649 āļŋ86.1K
$3,517 ÂĢ2,602
-24.68%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Aberdeen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$524 āļŋ17.0K
$3,680 ÂĢ2,723
-85.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
6.2
-14.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Aberdeen: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $883 in Aberdeen. 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 603% higher in Aberdeen, 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $82.0 in Aberdeen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $307 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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
Phuket vs Aberdeen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Aberdeen?
Aberdeen costs about 79% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket vs Aberdeen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $3,313 in Aberdeen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Aberdeen?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Aberdeen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,232 in Phuket and $2,209 in Aberdeen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
How expensive is transport in Phuket vs Aberdeen?
Public transport costs about 849% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or Aberdeen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Aberdeen at $2,209. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aberdeen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Aberdeen?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,232 versus $2,209 in Aberdeen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Phuket compared to Aberdeen?
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.
Should I move to Phuket or Aberdeen?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aberdeen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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