Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Harrow

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,031 in Harrow, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Harrow, United Kingdom
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Harrow
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,031
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Harrow

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,031 in Harrow.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Harrow $3,031

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $4,459 in Harrow.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Harrow $4,459

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,886 in Harrow.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Harrow $5,886

Living in Phuket costs roughly 58% less than in Harrow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Harrow is 123% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Harrow
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$19.77 £14.74
-77.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$95.2 £71.0
-65.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.16 £6.83
-3.82%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$4.81 £3.58
-41.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.40
$2.90 £2.16
-70.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$1.97 £1.47
-75.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$7.32 £5.46
-65.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$7.09 £5.28
-48.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Harrow
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.62 £1.21
2.47%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.29
$1.84 £1.37
-20.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.64 £1.22
-8.54%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$5.83 £4.34
-64.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$11.22 £8.36
69.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$8.24 £6.14
-59.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$12.71 £9.48
-14.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.8
$2.01 £1.50
45.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.32 £0.98
28.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.77 £1.32
27.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$5.24 £3.91
-60.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.36 £1.01
11.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.51
$1.55 £1.15
-10.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.95
$1.36 £1.02
-21.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.50
$1.37 £1.02
-62.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$22.23 £16.57
-81.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$9.55 £7.12
96.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.96 £1.46
-7.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.35 £1.01
110.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Harrow
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.97
$4.89 £3.65
-70.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,911
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$13.35 £9.96
-77.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.32
$3.92 £2.92
-73.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.75
$1.91 £1.43
-23.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.2K
$40.3K £30.0K
-33.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.3K
$44.8K £33.4K
-40.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Harrow
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,250
$201 £150
-52.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$15.01 £11.19
-24.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$39.90 £29.75
-57.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Harrow
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$78.7 £58.7
-14.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$14.18 £10.57
-47.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Harrow
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$1,929 £1,438
-75.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.9K
$24.1K £18.0K
-53.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Harrow
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,103
$78.7 £58.6
-20.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$59.9 £44.65
-52.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,180
$106 £79.2
-11.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,894
$161 £120
-46.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Harrow
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$2,297 £1,713
-68.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$1,830 £1,364
-73.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$4,227 £3,152
-54.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$3,096 £2,308
-53.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.8K
$7,262 £5,414
-42.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$7,235 £5,394
-57.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Harrow
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$5,045 £3,761
-90.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.3
5.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Harrow: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Harrow
$1.8K 273% $1.3K
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Harrow
$289 8.7% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Harrow
$256 106% $132
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Harrow
$182 49.7% $61
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Harrow
$314 158% $192
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Harrow
$107 30.2% $25
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Harrow
$53 * 25.6% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $2,297 in Harrow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harrow pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $95 in Harrow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇧 Harrow
🕒 Local time
22:55 10:55 PM
15:55 3:55 PM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
149,246
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.832 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Harrow 9,920 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Harrow

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 Harrow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Harrow?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $3,031 in Harrow, so Phuket is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Phuket. 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 in Harrow?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $2,297 in Harrow. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Harrow?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,929 in Harrow. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $95 in Harrow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,031 in Harrow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Harrow. 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 Harrow?
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 Harrow safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Harrow are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Phuket and Harrow?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Harrow on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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