Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Durham Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Durham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,071 in Durham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $3,033 in Durham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,995 in Durham.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 39% less than in Durham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Durham is 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$19.30 £14.44

-76.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$95.7 £71.6

-52.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$10.23 £7.65

-14.37%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$4.40 £3.29

-32.50%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$2.47 £1.84

-72.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$2.01 £1.50

-80.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$6.24 £4.67

-59.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.58 £4.17

-32.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.79 £1.34

20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.71 £1.28

6.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$2.45 £1.83

-11.02%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$4.12 £3.08

-45.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$9.27 £6.94

115.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.35 £6.24

-56.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.63 £7.20

40.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$3.69 £2.76

-12.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$2.28 £1.70

-28.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$3.34 £2.50

-30.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$3.49 £2.61

-40.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.14 £0.86

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.56 £1.17

-6.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.99 £0.74

-1.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$1.73 £1.30

-72.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$22.90 £17.13

-81.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$10.82 £8.10

71.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$3.12 £2.33

-40.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$3.00 £2.24

-11.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$3.31 £2.48

-57.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$54.9 £41.06

-78.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$4.87 £3.65

-34.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.54 £1.15

-33.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$23.07 £17.26

-39.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$2.00 £1.49

-33.00%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$36.6K £27.4K

-24.05%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$38.7K £29.0K

-13.75%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$273 £204

-54.93%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$15.76 £11.79

-12.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$34.64 £25.92

-47.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$49.74 £37.21

22.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$12.87 £9.63

-31.08%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$1,578 £1,180

-56.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$18.6K £13.9K

-15.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$106 £79.5

-44.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$59.9 £44.83

-42.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$125 £93.3

-7.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$88.6 £66.3

-5.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$1,478 £1,106

-57.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$821 £614

-45.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$2,570 £1,922

-20.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$1,254 £938

19.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$5,054 £3,781

-31.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$3,841 £2,874

-34.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,061 £1,542

-76.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.45

-2.20%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Durham: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $1,478 in Durham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 318% 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 $96.0 in Durham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $297 per month, with Phuket 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 Durham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Durham differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $2,071 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 318% lower in Durham. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $1,478 in Durham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $2,071 in Durham – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 374% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,071 in Durham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Durham. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Durham 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 64% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.