Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Livingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Livingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,972 in Livingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $3,136 in Livingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $4,300 in Livingston.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 38% less than in Livingston, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Livingston is 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$20.35 £15.23

-78.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$100.0 £74.9

-67.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$10.92 £8.18

-18.22%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$5.31 £3.97

-45.39%

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

$0.88 ฿29.27

$2.71 £2.03

-67.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.00

$2.43 £1.82

-80.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$6.92 £5.18

-66.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.90 £5.17

-46.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.0

$1.46 £1.10

28.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.75

$1.92 £1.43

-23.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.30 £1.72

-32.61%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$3.66 £2.74

-42.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿651

$9.31 £6.97

110.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.17 £6.86

-62.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$14.91 £11.17

-23.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.2

$3.03 £2.27

-1.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.0

$1.66 £1.24

1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.82 £2.11

-21.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$3.66 £2.74

-40.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.66 £1.24

-8.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.49

$1.45 £1.08

-7.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.53

$1.17 £0.87

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.17

$1.58 £1.18

-65.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$22.46 £16.81

-81.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$10.61 £7.94

79.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$3.10 £2.32

-42.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.5

$3.27 £2.45

-14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$5.47 £4.09

-44.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.02

$1.65 £1.23

-38.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$28.53 £21.36

-86.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.57

$2.13 £1.59

-30.05%

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

$26.6K ฿883.8K

$38.9K £29.1K

-31.67%

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

$27.0K ฿898.7K

$41.7K £31.3K

-35.25%

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

$102 ฿3,407

$335 £251

-69.43%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$16.74 £12.54

-32.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$41.86 £31.34

-58.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,732

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$10.85 £8.12

-29.12%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$1,227 £918

-54.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.6K

$17.7K £13.3K

-35.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,096

$94.5 £70.7

-33.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$48.21 £36.10

-38.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,259

$109 £82.0

-10.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,943

$96.5 £72.2

-8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$875 £655

-15.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$768 £575

-37.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.0K

$1,918 £1,436

9.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$1,544 £1,156

-20.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$4,088 £3,061

-87.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.15

8.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Livingston: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $875 in Livingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Livingston pays 728% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $100 in Livingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $305 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 Livingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Livingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 728% lower in Livingston. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $875 in Livingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Livingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,972 in Livingston – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,972 in Livingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Livingston. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Livingston 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 60% less than in Livingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.