Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fort William

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,455 in Fort William, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Fort William
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,455
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fort William

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,455 in Fort William.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Fort William $2,455

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $3,592 in Fort William.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Fort William $3,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $4,730 in Fort William.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Fort William $4,730

Living in Phuket costs roughly 51% less than in Fort William, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Fort William is 81% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Fort William
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$20.26 £15.20
-78.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$98.3 £73.8
-67.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$10.59 £7.95
-17.28%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$4.63 £3.47
-38.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$2.73 £2.05
-67.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$1.96 £1.47
-76.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$7.03 £5.28
-63.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$7.81 £5.86
-50.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Fort William
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.48 £1.11
16.89%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$1.73 £1.30
-15.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$2.03 £1.52
-25.62%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$3.49 £2.61
-37.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$9.00 £6.75
118.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$10.71 £8.03
-68.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$15.56 £11.67
-28.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$2.86 £2.15
-0.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$1.30 £0.98
30.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$2.06 £1.54
6.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$3.80 £2.85
-46.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$1.16 £0.87
25.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$1.35 £1.01
2.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.20 £0.90
-10.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$1.60 £1.20
-68.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$21.80 £16.36
-80.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$10.96 £8.23
69.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$2.71 £2.03
-34.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$3.10 £2.32
-8.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Fort William
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$3.66 £2.75
-38.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
$108 £80.9
-79.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$4.04 £3.03
-25.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$2.44 £1.83
-56.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$23.80 £17.86
-83.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$2.15 £1.62
-32.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$38.6K £28.9K
-31.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$39.8K £29.9K
-32.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Fort William
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$378 £284
-74.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$27.94 £20.96
-60.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$43.04 £32.29
-60.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Fort William
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$46.86 £35.16
11.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$6.75 £5.06
65.33%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$11.56 £8.67
-32.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Fort William
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$1,792 £1,345
-68.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$23.5K £17.6K
-50.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Fort William
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$96.2 £72.2
-33.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$48.12 £36.10
-40.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$104 £77.8
-8.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$115 £86.4
-23.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Fort William
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$1,213 £910
-39.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$1,012 £759
-54.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$2,161 £1,621
-3.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$1,628 £1,221
-26.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$5,096 £3,823
-31.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$3,553 £2,666
-29.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Fort William
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
$1,973 £1,480
-74.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.11
9.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fort William: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Fort William
$1K 119% $549
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Fort William
$303 12.6% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Fort William
$449 261% $325
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Fort William
$163 31.5% $39
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Fort William
$319 163% $198
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Fort William
$70 3.2% $2.2
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Fort William
$139 252% $99

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $1,213 in Fort William. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort William pays 294% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $98.0 in Fort William for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $303 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇧 Fort William
🕒 Local time
00:49 12:49 AM
18:49 6:49 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
10,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 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 Fort William 10,080 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Fort William

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 Fort William: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fort William cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Fort William?
On paper, salaries run 294% lower in Fort William. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Fort William?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $1,213 in Fort William. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Fort William?
Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Fort William. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Fort William?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $98.0 in Fort William. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Fort William?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,455 in Fort William, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fort William. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Fort William more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Fort William, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Fort William?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Fort William 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Fort William. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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