Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Margate Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Margate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $903 in Margate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,444 in Margate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,984 in Margate.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than in Margate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Margate 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$7.59 R 122

-41.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$37.72 R 608

-7.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$5.51 R 88.7

62.61%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$1.91 R 30.70

57.07%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.12 R 17.98

-31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.85 R 13.74

-44.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.53 R 40.79

-5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.26 R 36.38

65.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.01 R 16.23

80.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$0.94 R 15.18

51.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.14 R 18.29

35.96%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.52 R 40.51

-15.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$5.15 R 83.0

283.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$3.54 R 57.0

-1.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$5.98 R 96.3

85.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.23 R 19.79

136.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.22 R 19.66

36.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.14 R 18.29

99.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.47 R 23.71

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$1.10 R 17.72

33.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$1.29 R 20.80

9.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.16 R 18.66

-6.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.01 R 16.26

-46.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$1.71 R 27.62

161.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$3.68 R 59.2

408.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.50 R 24.09

22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.97 R 31.73

49.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.56 R 25.17

44.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$0.42 R 6.76

623.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$0.77 R 12.39

41.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$7.71 R 124

-50.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.39 R 22.39

7.19%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$36.8K R 592.8K

-25.44%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$32.0K R 515.3K

-13.99%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$61.0 R 982

67.01%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$18.86 R 304

-40.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$33.74 R 544

-47.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$33.19 R 535

63.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$4.43 R 71.4

77.20%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$333 R 5,368

73.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$7,511 R 121.0K

54.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$54.4 R 876

20.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$18.76 R 302

54.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$74.7 R 1,204

32.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$49.88 R 803

80.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$409 R 6,585

84.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$372 R 5,990

31.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$768 R 12.4K

171.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$749 R 12.1K

61.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$882 R 14.2K

307.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$643 R 10.4K

305.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$1,541 R 24.8K

-67.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.66

-52.23%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Margate: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $409 in Margate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Margate pays 207% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in Margate. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $152, with Margate cheaper for home cooking.

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 Margate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Margate wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Margate the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 207% lower in Margate. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $409 in Margate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $333 in Margate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Margate – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $35.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $903 in Margate versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Margate but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Margate the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Margate delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $903 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Margate hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Margate 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 Margate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.