Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Middlesbrough Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Middlesbrough

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,975 in Middlesbrough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,797 in Middlesbrough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,618 in Middlesbrough.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Middlesbrough, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Middlesbrough is 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$20.05 £14.94

-76.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$73.3 £54.6

-38.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$10.31 £7.68

-18.23%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$4.42 £3.29

-33.71%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.96 £1.46

-64.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.42 £1.06

-73.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$5.45 £4.06

-55.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.58 £4.16

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.60 £1.19

39.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.72 £1.28

6.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.68 £1.99

-19.03%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.98 £2.97

-44.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.08 £5.27

178.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.47 £5.57

-51.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.86 £7.35

37.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.65 £1.97

23.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.25 £1.68

-28.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.28 £1.70

5.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.64 £1.97

-21.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.74 £1.30

-12.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.32 £0.99

12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.38 £1.03

-28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.86 £1.39

-72.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$18.66 £13.90

-76.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$14.63 £10.90

32.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$3.78 £2.82

-52.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$5.19 £3.87

-47.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$4.10 £3.05

-66.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$96.5 £71.9

-88.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$6.26 £4.66

-51.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.15 £0.86

-13.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$16.36 £12.19

-13.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.96 £1.46

-30.61%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$30.5K £22.7K

-7.46%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$39.6K £29.5K

-16.82%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$286 £213

-57.51%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.07 £12.72

-20.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$42.37 £31.57

-56.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$54.3 £40.44

10.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$21.23 £15.82

-19.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$13.02 £9.70

-33.26%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$965 £719

-28.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$20.6K £15.4K

-23.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$78.8 £58.7

-24.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$44.13 £32.87

-21.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$84.9 £63.2

35.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$70.9 £52.8

17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$920 £686

-33.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$699 £521

-37.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,039 £774

101.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$964 £718

56.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,738 £2,040

36.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,284 £1,702

14.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,380 £1,773

-78.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.6

-4.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Middlesbrough: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $920 in Middlesbrough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middlesbrough pays 368% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $73.0 in Middlesbrough. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $291, with Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Middlesbrough differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,975 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Middlesbrough earns 368% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $920 in Middlesbrough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Middlesbrough pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $73.0 in Middlesbrough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,975 in Middlesbrough, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Middlesbrough. 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 Middlesbrough 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 56% less than in Middlesbrough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.