Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bournemouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bournemouth

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Phuket vs $2,491 in Bournemouth, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $3,726 in Bournemouth, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Phuket vs $4,960 in Bournemouth, rent included.

Phuket is about 50% cheaper than Bournemouth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Phuket sits 7% below the global median, while Bournemouth is 85% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$20.24 £15.00

-77.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$93.7 £69.4

-50.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$9.38 £6.95

-7.25%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$4.31 £3.19

-32.25%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$2.28 £1.69

-70.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$1.77 £1.31

-77.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$6.72 £4.98

-62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$5.54 £4.11

-31.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.70 £1.26

27.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.24 £0.92

51.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$2.55 £1.89

-15.29%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$3.31 £2.45

-32.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$9.58 £7.10

104.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$7.00 £5.19

-45.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$13.57 £10.05

-1.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$2.72 £2.01

19.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.43 £1.06

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$2.33 £1.73

-0.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$2.22 £1.64

-7.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$1.78 £1.32

-9.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$1.30 £0.96

10.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.95 £0.70

8.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$1.46 £1.08

-67.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$21.90 £16.23

-79.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$10.08 £7.47

90.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$2.69 £1.99

-32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$2.48 £1.84

8.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$2.65 £1.97

-47.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$86.2 £63.9

-86.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$3.99 £2.95

-22.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$1.99 £1.47

-49.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$26.19 £19.41

-47.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$1.90 £1.41

-31.58%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$38.2K £28.3K

-28.47%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$39.3K £29.1K

-16.01%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$347 £257

-64.06%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$16.06 £11.90

-14.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$45.11 £33.43

-58.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$40.00 £29.64

51.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$12.80 £9.48

33.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$16.23 £12.03

-44.49%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$2,270 £1,682

-69.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$35.3K £26.1K

-54.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$86.5 £64.1

-31.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$48.04 £35.60

-27.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$103 £76.3

10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$91.0 £67.4

-5.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$1,342 £994

-53.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$1,171 £868

-62.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$2,849 £2,111

-27.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$2,196 £1,627

-31.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$6,829 £5,060

-44.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$4,370 £3,238

-38.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$3,258 £2,414

-83.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.82

-8.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Bournemouth: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $1,342 in Bournemouth. 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 517% higher in Bournemouth, 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 in Phuket versus $94 in Bournemouth. Groceries tell a different story – $292 in Phuket vs $268 in Bournemouth – so Bournemouth 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

Phuket vs Bournemouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bournemouth costs about 100% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,870 per month in Phuket and $3,737 in Bournemouth. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Bournemouth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $94.0 in Bournemouth. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,247, than in Bournemouth at $2,491. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bournemouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,247 versus $2,491 in Bournemouth. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Bournemouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.