Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lisburn

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,290 in Lisburn, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Lisburn, United Kingdom
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Lisburn
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,290
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lisburn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,290 in Lisburn.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Lisburn $2,290

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,494 in Lisburn.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Lisburn $3,494

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $4,698 in Lisburn.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Lisburn $4,698

Living in Phuket costs roughly 44% less than in Lisburn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Lisburn is 69% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Lisburn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿147
$28.85 £21.44
-84.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,078
$74.3 £55.3
-56.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿290
$14.28 £10.61
-39.08%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿90.9
$4.97 £3.69
-45.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.06
$1.97 £1.46
-52.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.67
$1.87 £1.39
-73.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿84.5
$7.14 £5.31
-64.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿121
$6.11 £4.54
-40.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Lisburn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$1.90 £1.41
-8.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.42
$2.43 £1.81
-40.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.1
$2.22 £1.65
-32.43%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.5
$4.01 £2.98
-45.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿637
$9.25 £6.88
106.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿113
$8.41 £6.25
-59.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿364
$14.70 £10.93
-25.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.2
$2.95 £2.20
-0.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.5
$1.56 £1.16
8.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.2
$2.87 £2.13
-23.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿70.9
$3.20 £2.38
-33.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿48.68
$1.73 £1.29
-15.61%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.66
$1.62 £1.20
-15.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿35.91
$1.22 £0.91
-11.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.21
$1.53 £1.14
-64.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿148
$23.39 £17.39
-81.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿609
$10.88 £8.09
67.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.2
$2.92 £2.17
-39.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.2
$3.29 £2.44
-12.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Lisburn
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.32
$4.04 £3.00
-64.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,832
$98.1 £72.9
-44.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.5
$5.05 £3.75
-70.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿25.90
$2.26 £1.68
-65.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿128
$25.84 £19.21
-85.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.65
$2.04 £1.52
-26.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿897.3K
$39.1K £29.0K
-31.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.4K
$39.8K £29.6K
-33.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Lisburn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,265
$304 £226
-67.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿377
$17.33 £12.88
-34.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿574
$41.92 £31.15
-58.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Lisburn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,281
$44.49 £33.07
53.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿365
$10.70 £7.95
2.06%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿248
$13.67 £10.16
-45.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Lisburn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.7K
$1,830 £1,360
-71.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿626.9K
$23.0K £17.1K
-18.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Lisburn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,059
$85.5 £63.6
-27.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿943
$45.81 £34.05
-38.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,204
$99.1 £73.6
-3.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,898
$97.0 £72.1
-10.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Lisburn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.1K
$1,271 £944
-43.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.0K
$872 £648
-41.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.1K
$2,039 £1,516
-4.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿46.6K
$1,672 £1,243
-16.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿139.9K
$5,267 £3,915
-20.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.1K
$3,962 £2,945
-16.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Lisburn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.4K
-
-
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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lisburn: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Lisburn
$872 71.3% $363
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Lisburn
$308 15.5% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Lisburn
$364 188% $237
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Lisburn
$147 20% $25
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Lisburn
$397 232% $277
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Lisburn
$72 13.7% $11
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Lisburn
$131 97.7% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,271 in Lisburn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $74 in Lisburn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $308 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇧 Lisburn
🕒 Local time
09:33 9:33 AM
02:33 2:33 AM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
71,403
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Lisburn 10,210 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Lisburn

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 Lisburn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Lisburn?
Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Lisburn. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Lisburn?
You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $3,435 in Lisburn to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Lisburn?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $1,271 in Lisburn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and in Lisburn?
Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $1,830 in Lisburn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Lisburn?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Lisburn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Lisburn?
At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,290 in Lisburn, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lisburn. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Lisburn?
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.
How safe is Phuket compared to Lisburn?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Lisburn are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Lisburn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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