Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cambridge Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cambridge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,243 in Cambridge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $3,021 in Cambridge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,799 in Cambridge.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 44% less than in Cambridge, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Cambridge is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$13.38 NZ$22.84

-65.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$36.53 NZ$62.4

27.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$9.07 NZ$15.48

-6.62%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.97 NZ$5.07

2.02%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.42 NZ$4.13

-71.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$2.17 NZ$3.71

-82.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$4.72 NZ$8.05

-47.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$6.38 NZ$10.89

-42.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.69 NZ$2.89

28.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.62 NZ$2.77

17.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.83 NZ$3.12

20.22%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$6.05 NZ$10.33

-63.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.08 NZ$13.79

147.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$9.00 NZ$15.37

-59.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$12.42 NZ$21.20

6.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.44 NZ$4.17

32.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.90 NZ$3.25

-10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.37 NZ$4.05

0.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.96 NZ$5.05

-29.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$2.15 NZ$3.67

-26.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.84 NZ$3.14

-19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$2.11 NZ$3.61

-51.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.26 NZ$2.15

-58.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$20.57 NZ$35.13

-79.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.71 NZ$16.58

93.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.45 NZ$4.19

-28.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.68 NZ$4.57

2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$2.96 NZ$5.05

-54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$64.9 NZ$111

-82.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.63 NZ$4.49

19.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.00 NZ$3.41

-48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$35.24 NZ$60.2

-60.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.67 NZ$2.85

-19.76%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$26.8K NZ$45.8K

3.17%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$22.8K NZ$39.0K

48.39%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$109 NZ$187

13.11%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$36.87 NZ$63.0

-63.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$39.85 NZ$68.1

-53.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$36.62 NZ$62.5

68.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$12.17 NZ$20.78

41.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$8.96 NZ$15.31

2.01%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$739 NZ$1,262

-4.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$12.2K NZ$20.9K

29.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$98.4 NZ$168

-39.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$56.9 NZ$97.1

-38.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$104 NZ$177

11.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$128 NZ$219

-34.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$974 NZ$1,663

-36.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$1,200 NZ$2,050

-63.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$2,092 NZ$3,572

-1.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,591 NZ$2,717

-5.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$4,477 NZ$7,644

-18.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$3,392 NZ$5,792

-22.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$2,629 NZ$4,489

-80.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-11.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $974 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 419% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $37.00 in Cambridge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $290 per month, with Cambridge cheaper across the board.

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cambridge earns 419% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $974 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $2,243 in Cambridge – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 471% less than in Cambridge. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,243 in Cambridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cambridge are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.