Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kempton Park Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kempton Park

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,022 in Kempton Park.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,573 in Kempton Park.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,124 in Kempton Park.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than Kempton Park, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Kempton Park 23% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kempton Park
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.51 ฿147
$8.16 R 132
-44.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.62 ฿1,515
$33.00 R 534
41.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.49 ฿276
$4.93 R 79.8
72.21%
Cappuccino
$3.08 ฿100
$2.19 R 35.43
40.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 ฿22.07
$1.00 R 16.12
-32.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 ฿11.75
$0.81 R 13.08
-55.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.43 ฿78.8
$2.29 R 37.01
6.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿118
$2.48 R 40.14
46.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kempton Park
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.19 ฿71.1
$1.20 R 19.42
82.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.81 ฿59.0
$1.07 R 17.31
69.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.23 ฿72.5
$1.71 R 27.74
30.41%
Eggs
$2.24 ฿72.7
$2.46 R 39.80
-8.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.60 ฿637
$7.49 R 121
161.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.72 ฿121
$4.64 R 75.1
-19.83%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.47 ฿438
$6.87 R 111
96.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.36 ฿109
$1.65 R 26.70
103.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 ฿52.5
$1.55 R 25.13
4.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 ฿78.3
$1.61 R 26.05
49.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.99 ฿64.6
$1.70 R 27.57
17.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿49.76
$1.46 R 23.58
4.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 ฿47.19
$1.41 R 22.75
2.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 ฿32.96
$1.08 R 17.50
-6.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ฿15.73
$1.15 R 18.64
-58.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 ฿139
$3.00 R 48.53
42.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.12 ฿621
$5.38 R 87.0
255.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 ฿59.7
$1.57 R 25.48
17.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 ฿89.1
$1.77 R 28.70
54.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kempton Park
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.42 ฿46.06
$1.38 R 22.28
2.90%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.72 ฿381
$56.4 R 913
-79.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.00 ฿97.6
$1.14 R 18.47
163.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 ฿34.00
$0.93 R 15.09
12.90%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.90 ฿452
$4.11 R 66.6
238.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 ฿41.94
$1.30 R 21.08
-0.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K ฿911.1K
$22.0K R 355.9K
27.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.5K ฿1.1M
$23.6K R 382.6K
41.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kempton Park
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$122 ฿3,964
$125 R 2,019
-2.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.93 ฿453
$40.87 R 662
-65.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.87 ฿613
$42.16 R 682
-55.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kempton Park
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.3 ฿1,992
$25.99 R 421
135.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84 ฿547
$5.74 R 92.9
193.38%
Cinema Ticket
$8.89 ฿289
$7.69 R 125
15.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kempton Park
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$691 ฿22.5K
$206 R 3,333
235.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K ฿525.2K
$4,375 R 70.8K
269.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kempton Park
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 ฿1,878
$50.8 R 822
13.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.39 ฿1,150
$31.77 R 514
11.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 ฿3,685
$87.9 R 1,423
28.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.0 ฿2,698
$77.8 R 1,259
6.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kempton Park
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$607 ฿19.7K
$282 R 4,568
114.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 ฿14.6K
$259 R 4,189
73.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,029 ฿66.0K
$681 R 11.0K
198.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,493 ฿48.5K
$566 R 9,168
163.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,585 ฿116.5K
$1,026 R 16.6K
249.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,585 ฿84.0K
$783 R 12.7K
230.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kempton Park
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$505 ฿16.4K
$652 R 10.5K
-22.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
11.51
-53.69%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Kempton Park: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $282 in Kempton Park. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kempton Park pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Kempton Park for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $186 per month, with Kempton Park 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 Kempton Park: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Kempton Park?
Kempton Park wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kempton Park the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or Kempton Park?
On paper, Kempton Park earns 29% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket vs Kempton Park?
Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $282 in Kempton Park. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or Kempton Park?
Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket vs Kempton Park?
Dining out is cheaper in Kempton Park – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Phuket or Kempton Park?
At $1,022 in Kempton Park versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kempton Park but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kempton Park the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Kempton Park?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kempton Park delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,022 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kempton Park hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Kempton Park?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Kempton Park 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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Kempton Park gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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