🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,488 in Farnborough.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $3,692 in Farnborough.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $4,896 in Farnborough.
🙂Living in Phuket costs roughly 50% less than in Farnborough, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 7% below, Farnborough is 85% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Farnborough
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.59฿147
$19.98£14.80
-77.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.83฿1,501
$78.3£58.0
-40.17%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.70฿279
$8.73£6.47
-0.34%
Cappuccino
$2.92฿93.7
$5.01£3.71
-41.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68฿21.92
$2.67£1.98
-74.53%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40฿12.70
$1.93£1.43
-79.27%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.51฿80.4
$7.19£5.33
-65.09%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80฿122
$6.90£5.11
-44.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Farnborough
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.16฿69.3
$1.53£1.14
41.18%
White Bread(500g)
$1.88฿60.3
$1.36£1.01
38.24%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.16฿69.2
$3.71£2.75
-41.78%
Eggs
$2.22฿71.2
$5.42£4.01
-59.04%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.57฿627
$8.97£6.65
118.17%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.80฿122
$9.25£6.86
-58.92%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.41฿430
$14.84£11.00
-9.64%
Apples(1kg)
$3.26฿104
$1.40£1.04
132.86%
Banana(1kg)
$1.61฿51.7
$1.59£1.18
1.26%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.31฿74.0
$2.37£1.76
-2.53%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.06฿66.0
$3.27£2.42
-37.00%
Potato(1kg)
$1.61฿51.5
$1.78£1.32
-9.55%
Onion(1kg)
$1.44฿46.26
$1.17£0.87
23.08%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03฿33.01
$0.93£0.69
10.75%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48฿15.39
$0.78£0.58
-38.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.50฿144
$17.79£13.18
-74.70%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.18฿615
$11.14£8.26
72.17%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82฿58.4
$3.13£2.32
-41.85%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69฿86.2
$3.48£2.58
-22.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Farnborough
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.38฿44.16
$2.70£2.00
-48.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.76฿377
$88.1£65.3
-86.65%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.11฿99.6
$3.19£2.37
-2.51%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.18
$1.81£1.34
-44.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.74฿441
$12.46£9.23
10.27%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.30฿41.61
$1.89£1.40
-31.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K฿877.0K
$38.3K£28.3K
-28.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.0K฿1.1M
$38.0K£28.2K
-13.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Farnborough
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,004
$137£101
-8.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.74฿440
$16.43£12.17
-16.37%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.61฿597
$41.02£30.39
-54.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Farnborough
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.6฿1,941
$59.8£44.34
1.20%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.15฿550
$24.83£18.40
-30.93%
Cinema Ticket
$9.01฿289
$7.96£5.90
13.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Farnborough
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.4K
$1,521£1,127
-54.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$16.1K฿516.5K
$18.2K£13.5K
-11.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Farnborough
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.2฿1,898
$117£86.5
-49.25%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.86฿1,118
$52.0£38.50
-32.91%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$114฿3,662
$114£84.7
-0.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8฿2,751
$143£106
-40.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Farnborough
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$619฿19.8K
$1,726£1,279
-64.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$437฿14.0K
$1,344£996
-67.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,075฿66.5K
$2,470£1,830
-15.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,509฿48.4K
$2,165£1,604
-30.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,764฿120.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,694฿86.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Farnborough
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$528฿16.9K
$4,315£3,197
-87.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
5.62
-5.16%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026
Last update for Farnborough: April 14, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,726 in Farnborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Farnborough pays 717% 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 in Phuket vs $78 in Farnborough. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $291, with Farnborough 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 Farnborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and Farnborough?
Phuket and Farnborough differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,247 vs $2,488 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, Farnborough earns 717% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and Farnborough?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $1,726 in Farnborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $78.0 in Farnborough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Farnborough?
All in, you'll spend $1,247 per month in Phuket versus $2,488 in Farnborough – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,488 in Farnborough, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Farnborough. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Farnborough?
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.
Is Phuket or Farnborough safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Farnborough are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Farnborough?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Farnborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.