Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kirkwall Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kirkwall

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,318 in Kirkwall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $3,450 in Kirkwall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $4,582 in Kirkwall.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 46% less than in Kirkwall, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 7% below, Kirkwall is 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$25.28 £18.68

-81.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,500

$81.2 £60.0

-42.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$9.89 £7.31

-12.03%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$4.02 £2.97

-27.36%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ฿21.90

$2.33 £1.72

-70.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.69

$1.59 £1.17

-74.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.3

$5.48 £4.05

-54.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$6.35 £4.70

-40.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$1.60 £1.18

35.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.65 £1.22

13.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.1

$2.22 £1.64

-2.70%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.1

$3.97 £2.93

-44.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$9.75 £7.20

100.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$8.61 £6.36

-55.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$14.32 £10.58

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$3.15 £2.33

3.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.6

$1.63 £1.20

-1.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿73.9

$2.87 £2.12

-19.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿65.9

$3.54 £2.62

-41.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.4

$1.63 £1.21

-1.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.23

$1.55 £1.14

-7.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿32.99

$1.07 £0.79

-3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.38

$1.46 £1.08

-67.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$19.36 £14.31

-76.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿614

$10.71 £7.91

79.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$2.79 £2.06

-34.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$3.08 £2.28

-12.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.13

$3.27 £2.42

-57.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$90.2 £66.7

-86.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.5

$5.59 £4.13

-44.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.16

$1.60 £1.18

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿440

$23.01 £17.00

-40.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.58

$1.96 £1.45

-33.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.4K ฿876.5K

$39.0K £28.8K

-29.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$41.1K £30.4K

-19.61%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$125 ฿4,001

$291 £215

-57.10%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.74 ฿440

$17.00 £12.57

-19.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿596

$42.62 £31.50

-56.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,940

$26.29 £19.43

130.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿549

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$13.41 £9.91

-32.81%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$698 ฿22.4K

$1,575 £1,164

-55.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.2K

$18.1K £13.4K

-11.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,897

$85.3 £63.0

-30.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,117

$44.07 £32.57

-20.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,659

$93.8 £69.3

21.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,749

$99.7 £73.7

-13.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$1,204 £890

-48.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$999 £739

-56.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$2,068 £1,528

0.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$1,692 £1,251

-10.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$1,959 £1,448

-73.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.63

-5.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Kirkwall: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,204 in Kirkwall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkwall pays 271% 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 $81 in Kirkwall for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $299 per month, with Phuket 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 Kirkwall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Kirkwall differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($1,247 vs $2,318 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kirkwall earns 271% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $1,204 in Kirkwall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $81.0 in Kirkwall. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,247 per month in Phuket versus $2,318 in Kirkwall – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,318 in Kirkwall, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kirkwall. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kirkwall are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Kirkwall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.