Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bury

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,358 in Bury, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Bury, United Kingdom
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Bury
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,358
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bury

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 Bury actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $2,358 in Bury, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Bury $2,358

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $2,690 in Bury, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Bury $2,690

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $3,022 in Bury, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Bury $3,022

Phuket is about 45% cheaper than Bury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Bury is 74% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Bury
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$26.88 £19.93
-83.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,086
$81.3 £60.3
-60.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿293
$10.87 £8.06
-19.96%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.6
$4.80 £3.56
-43.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.28
$1.71 £1.27
-45.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.79
$1.24 £0.92
-59.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.1
$4.92 £3.65
-48.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$4.60 £3.41
-21.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Bury
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.5
$1.50 £1.11
16.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.77
$1.90 £1.41
-23.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.61 £1.93
-42.53%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.0
$4.08 £3.03
-46.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿642
$9.41 £6.98
102.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$8.43 £6.25
-59.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿366
$16.62 £12.33
-34.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.9
$3.31 £2.46
-11.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.64 £1.21
3.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.8
$3.07 £2.28
-28.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.4
$3.49 £2.59
-39.26%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.03
$1.23 £0.91
18.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.99
$1.62 £1.20
-15.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.17
$1.24 £0.92
-12.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.34
$1.31 £0.97
-58.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$23.48 £17.41
-81.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿614
$9.99 £7.41
82.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.6
$3.33 £2.47
-46.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.8
$2.96 £2.19
-2.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Bury
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.66
$2.64 £1.96
-45.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,845
$109 £80.7
-49.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$4.59 £3.41
-67.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.08
$1.73 £1.28
-54.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$32.32 £23.97
-88.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.0
$2.04 £1.51
-26.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿903.7K
$38.8K £28.8K
-30.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿885.7K
$41.4K £30.7K
-36.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Bury
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,288
$372 £276
-73.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿380
$17.34 £12.86
-34.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿578
$43.80 £32.48
-60.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Bury
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,297
$50.1 £37.15
36.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿367
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿250
$11.41 £8.46
-34.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Bury
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.8K
$1,897 £1,407
-72.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿631.4K
$30.3K £22.5K
-38.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Bury
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,073
$86.8 £64.4
-28.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿950
$40.72 £30.20
-30.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,228
$72.4 £53.7
32.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,919
$112 £83.1
-22.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Bury
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.2K
$1,133 £840
-36.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.1K
$920 £682
-44.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.6K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿140.9K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.9K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Bury
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.2
7.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bury: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Bury
$920 80.8% $411
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Bury
$307 15.2% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Bury
$433 243% $307
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Bury
$140 14.4% $18
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Bury
$351 193% $231
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Bury
$73 12.3% $10
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Bury
$133 101% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $1,133 in Bury. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $81 in Bury. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $307 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇧 Bury
🕒 Local time
20:02 8:02 PM
13:02 1:02 PM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
35,015
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.742 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.831 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Bury 9,830 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Bury

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 Bury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Bury?
Bury costs about 82% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from 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 and in Bury?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $3,536 in Bury. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Bury?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,133 in Bury.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Bury?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $2,358 in Bury. That makes Phuket about 45% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Phuket compared to Bury?
Public transport costs about 50% 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 in Bury?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Bury at $2,358. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bury it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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 safe is Phuket compared to Bury?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
For expats, Phuket is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 45% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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