🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Doncaster.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,764 in Doncaster.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,756 in Doncaster.
🌍Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Doncaster, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Doncaster is 33% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Doncaster
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.55฿153
$23.57£17.55
-80.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.18฿1,553
$80.8£60.2
-42.86%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿297
$9.60£7.15
-7.92%
Cappuccino
$3.06฿103
$4.43£3.30
-30.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73฿24.40
$1.82£1.35
-59.89%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40฿13.39
$1.35£1.00
-70.37%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.43฿81.8
$5.91£4.40
-58.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.78฿127
$4.17£3.11
-9.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Doncaster
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿76.0
$1.55£1.16
45.81%
White Bread(500g)
$1.81฿60.9
$1.97£1.47
-8.12%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.25฿75.8
$1.95£1.45
15.38%
Eggs
$2.25฿75.5
$3.02£2.25
-25.50%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.51฿656
$8.75£6.52
122.97%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿123
$8.99£6.70
-59.40%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.05฿439
$10.56£7.86
23.58%
Apples(1kg)
$3.23฿109
$2.99£2.23
8.03%
Banana(1kg)
$1.62฿54.4
$1.61£1.20
0.62%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.38฿80.1
$2.46£1.83
-3.25%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿68.1
$2.73£2.03
-25.64%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53฿51.6
$1.45£1.08
5.52%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿50.5
$1.62£1.21
-7.41%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.98฿32.91
$1.13£0.84
-13.27%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52฿17.39
$1.37£1.02
-62.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.44฿149
$18.99£14.14
-76.62%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.32฿616
$9.45£7.04
93.86%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86฿62.7
$3.30£2.46
-43.64%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68฿90.1
$2.63£1.96
1.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Doncaster
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.41฿47.46
$2.76£2.06
-48.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.70฿393
$70.6£52.5
-83.42%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.11฿105
$4.45£3.31
-30.11%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.04฿35.06
$1.27£0.95
-18.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.11฿474
$19.61£14.60
-28.05%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31฿44.10
$1.97£1.47
-33.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K฿935.4K
$37.7K£28.1K
-26.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K฿1.1M
$41.0K£30.5K
-19.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Doncaster
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$122฿4,118
$201£149
-39.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.59฿457
$15.90£11.83
-14.53%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.70฿629
$45.31£33.74
-58.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Doncaster
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.5฿2,034
$38.71£28.82
56.26%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.98฿571
$13.86£10.32
22.51%
Cinema Ticket
$9.07฿305
$9.93£7.39
-8.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Doncaster
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$706฿23.8K
$1,267£943
-44.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.8K฿531.5K
$15.0K£11.1K
5.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Doncaster
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.6฿1,969
$59.7£44.46
-1.96%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.36฿1,189
$30.80£22.93
14.81%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,883
$74.1£55.2
55.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.7฿2,816
$84.8£63.2
-1.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Doncaster
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$626฿21.0K
$691£514
-9.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$445฿15.0K
$644£479
-30.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,040฿68.6K
$1,354£1,008
50.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿50.2K
$1,200£893
24.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,483฿117.1K
$5,124£3,815
-32.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,577฿86.7K
$2,345£1,746
9.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Doncaster
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$500฿16.8K
$2,534£1,886
-80.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
5.7
-6.49%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026
Last update for Doncaster: July 13, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $691 in Doncaster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Doncaster pays 407% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $81.0 in Doncaster. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $275, with Doncaster cheaper for home cooking.
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 Doncaster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Doncaster?
Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Doncaster. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Doncaster?
On paper, salaries run 407% lower in Doncaster. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Doncaster?
Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $691 in Doncaster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Doncaster?
Shoppers in Doncaster pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Doncaster?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $81.0 in Doncaster. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Doncaster?
At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Doncaster, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Doncaster. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Doncaster?
Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Doncaster?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Doncaster are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Doncaster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.