Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Blackburn

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,051 in Blackburn, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Blackburn, United Kingdom
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Blackburn
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,051
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Blackburn

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Blackburn actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,051 in Blackburn, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Blackburn $2,051

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,022 in Blackburn, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Blackburn $3,022

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,994 in Blackburn, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Blackburn $3,994

Phuket is about 38% cheaper than Blackburn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Blackburn is 51% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Blackburn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$14.47 £10.89
-69.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$55.6 £41.88
-41.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$8.49 £6.39
3.77%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$4.07 £3.07
-30.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$2.62 £1.97
-66.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$1.46 £1.10
-66.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$4.25 £3.20
-39.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.21 £3.92
-29.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Blackburn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.67 £1.26
-0.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.50 £1.13
-2.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$2.38 £1.79
-36.97%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$3.65 £2.75
-42.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$10.77 £8.10
77.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$8.57 £6.45
-61.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$15.73 £11.84
-30.64%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$1.65 £1.24
77.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.64 £1.23
3.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.33 £1.75
-3.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$3.03 £2.28
-31.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.48 £1.12
2.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.51 £1.14
-8.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.45 £0.34
137.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.70 £0.53
-25.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$20.06 £15.10
-79.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$9.40 £7.07
99.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.26 £1.70
-19.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.05 £1.54
38.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Blackburn
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$2.73 £2.06
-46.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$74.4 £56.0
-23.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.72 £2.05
11.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$2.07 £1.56
-50.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$18.21 £13.71
-79.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$2.02 £1.52
-27.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$38.9K £29.3K
-31.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$40.6K £30.6K
-34.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Blackburn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$246 £185
-60.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$16.94 £12.75
-33.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$29.45 £22.16
-42.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Blackburn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$44.49 £33.48
51.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$12.03 £9.06
-10.81%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$9.57 £7.20
-21.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Blackburn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$1,052 £792
-54.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$21.7K £16.4K
-48.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Blackburn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$89.5 £67.4
-30.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$46.85 £35.26
-39.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$88.9 £66.9
6.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$69.1 £52.0
24.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Blackburn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,213 £913
-41.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$954 £718
-48.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$1,873 £1,410
2.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,655 £1,245
-13.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$5,107 £3,844
-18.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$3,845 £2,894
-20.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Blackburn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$2,155 £1,622
-76.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.99
11.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Blackburn: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Blackburn
$954 94.2% $463
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Blackburn
$273 2.4% $6.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Blackburn
$292 135% $168
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Blackburn
$132 8.7% $11
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Blackburn
$238 95.6% $116
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Blackburn
$64 22.6% $19
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Blackburn
$98 39.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,213 in Blackburn. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Blackburn are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $56 in Blackburn. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $273 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇧 Blackburn
🕒 Local time
06:46 6:46 AM
23:46 11:46 PM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
105,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Blackburn 10,010 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Blackburn

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Blackburn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Blackburn compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $2,051 in Blackburn – Phuket comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Blackburn?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,076 in Blackburn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Blackburn?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,213 in Blackburn.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $56 in Blackburn. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Phuket and in Blackburn?
Public transport costs about 24% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Blackburn at $2,051. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Blackburn it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Blackburn?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Phuket and Blackburn?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Blackburn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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