Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Derry

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,739 in Derry, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Derry
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,739
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Derry

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,739 in Derry, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Derry $1,739

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $2,610 in Derry, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Derry $2,610

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $3,481 in Derry, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Derry $3,481

Phuket is about 31% cheaper than Derry, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Derry is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Derry
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$18.59 £13.95
-76.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$72.3 £54.2
-55.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$10.86 £8.14
-19.34%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$4.01 £3.01
-29.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$2.24 £1.68
-59.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$1.63 £1.22
-71.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$5.42 £4.07
-52.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$6.04 £4.53
-36.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Derry
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.61 £1.21
7.45%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$1.33 £1.00
10.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$2.08 £1.56
-27.40%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$3.30 £2.48
-34.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$7.45 £5.59
164.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$8.99 £6.74
-62.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$16.91 £12.68
-34.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$2.62 £1.97
8.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$1.28 £0.96
32.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$2.77 £2.08
-20.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$3.30 £2.48
-37.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$1.34 £1.01
8.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$1.36 £1.02
1.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$0.95 £0.71
12.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$1.56 £1.17
-67.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$21.54 £16.16
-80.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$10.59 £7.94
75.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$2.56 £1.92
-30.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$3.40 £2.55
-16.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Derry
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$3.71 £2.78
-39.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$97.9 £73.4
-77.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$5.36 £4.02
-43.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$1.19 £0.89
-10.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$34.47 £25.86
-88.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$1.88 £1.41
-22.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$38.1K £28.6K
-30.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$41.1K £30.8K
-34.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Derry
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$131 £98.6
-26.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$15.79 £11.85
-30.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$42.21 £31.67
-59.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Derry
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$35.29 £26.47
47.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$13.36 £10.02
-16.47%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$10.59 £7.95
-26.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Derry
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$925 £694
-39.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$22.3K £16.7K
-48.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Derry
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$94.7 £71.1
-32.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$40.13 £30.11
-28.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$105 £78.8
-9.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$62.4 £46.83
40.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Derry
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$844 £633
-12.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$662 £497
-30.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$1,303 £978
60.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$993 £745
20.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$4,591 £3,444
-24.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$3,837 £2,879
-34.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Derry
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.79
16.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Derry: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Derry
$662 43.2% $200
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Derry
$287 7% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Derry
$189 52.1% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Derry
$136 9.5% $12
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Derry
$284 134% $163
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Derry
$56 16.7% $11
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Derry
$124 214% $85

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $844 in Derry. 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $72.0 in Derry. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $287 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇧 Derry
🕒 Local time
10:09 10:09 AM
04:09 4:09 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
85,016
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Derry 10,270 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Derry

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 Derry: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Derry compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $1,739 in Derry – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Derry?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $2,609 in Derry. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Derry?
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.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Derry?
Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $925 in Derry. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Derry, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
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 $1,208, than in Derry at $1,739. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Derry it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Derry?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $1,739 in Derry. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Phuket or Derry safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Phuket and Derry?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Derry makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?