Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Grays

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,369 in Grays, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Grays
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,369
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Grays

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $2,369 in Grays, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Grays $2,369

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $3,403 in Grays, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Grays $3,403

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $4,437 in Grays, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Grays $4,437

Phuket is about 49% cheaper than Grays, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Grays is 75% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Grays
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$24.94 £18.71
-81.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$52.3 £39.24
-37.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$9.98 £7.49
-14.33%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$4.64 £3.48
-41.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$3.86 £2.90
-75.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$3.32 £2.49
-85.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$5.40 £4.05
-52.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$7.88 £5.91
-51.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Grays
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$1.55 £1.16
12.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$1.47 £1.10
-2.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$1.64 £1.23
-6.71%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$4.41 £3.31
-50.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$12.06 £9.05
58.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$9.17 £6.88
-64.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$15.11 £11.33
-26.27%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$2.95 £2.21
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$1.89 £1.42
-11.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$2.82 £2.11
-18.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$3.77 £2.83
-43.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$2.20 £1.65
-30.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$1.79 £1.35
-24.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$1.18 £0.88
-5.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$1.43 £1.07
-61.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$17.07 £12.80
-75.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$10.87 £8.16
67.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$3.04 £2.28
-42.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$3.23 £2.42
-13.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Grays
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
$3.54 £2.66
-37.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
$97.5 £73.1
-77.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$4.88 £3.66
-40.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$2.69 £2.02
-62.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$39.12 £29.35
-90.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$2.06 £1.54
-27.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$38.6K £29.0K
-30.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$40.9K £30.7K
-34.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Grays
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$280 £210
-64.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$16.46 £12.35
-31.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$44.70 £33.53
-61.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Grays
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
$46.48 £34.87
12.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$11.16 £8.37
-32.17%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Grays
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$2,079 £1,559
-73.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$30.6K £23.0K
-62.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Grays
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$90.9 £68.2
-30.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$44.44 £33.34
-35.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$105 £78.4
-8.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$88.0 £66.0
0.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Grays
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$1,235 £926
-40.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$1,012 £759
-54.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
$2,126 £1,595
-1.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
$1,634 £1,226
-25.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
$5,052 £3,790
-31.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
$3,847 £2,886
-35.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Grays
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.12
8.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Grays: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Grays
$1K 120% $552
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Grays
$313 17.1% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Grays
$341 166% $213
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Grays
$148 18.9% $23
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Grays
$357 194% $235
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Grays
$69 2% $1.4
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Grays
$130 234% $91

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $1,235 in Grays. 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 $52.0 in Grays. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $313 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇧 Grays
🕒 Local time
15:41 3:41 PM
09:41 9:41 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
36,601
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 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 Grays 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Grays

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 Grays: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grays cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Grays is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $3,553 in Grays. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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 are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Grays?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $2,369 in Grays. That's a gap of about 96%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 342% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Grays?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Grays at $2,369. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Grays it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Grays more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Grays?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Grays 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?