Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Portsmouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Portsmouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $932 in Portsmouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,647 in Portsmouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,362 in Portsmouth.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than in Portsmouth, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Portsmouth 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿146

$5.49 EC$14.81

-19.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,071

$54.9 EC$148

-41.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.56 EC$17.70

36.13%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.1

$2.61 EC$7.04

11.11%

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

$0.88 ฿29.22

$2.16 EC$5.82

-59.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.97

$1.81 EC$4.88

-73.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.1

$2.53 EC$6.82

-7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.76 EC$10.15

-1.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿61.9

$2.75 EC$7.42

-32.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.68

$2.24 EC$6.04

-34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.5

$2.09 EC$5.63

-25.84%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.8

$6.55 EC$17.68

-67.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿650

$2.55 EC$6.89

668.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.60 EC$15.13

-38.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.1

$7.30 EC$19.71

-59.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿55.9

$2.64 EC$7.12

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.3

$4.18 EC$11.30

-47.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.8

$4.03 EC$10.89

-46.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.6

$2.81 EC$7.59

-45.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.43

$2.79 EC$7.55

-51.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.47

$1.87 EC$5.04

-39.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.14

$1.87 EC$5.06

-70.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿634

$11.28 EC$30.46

69.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.1

$1.83 EC$4.94

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.4

$2.67 EC$7.20

4.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.0

$0.78 EC$2.09

185.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿755

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.74 EC$10.11

-18.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿33.96

$3.66 EC$9.90

-72.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.50

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

$26.6K ฿882.5K

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

$27.0K ฿897.4K

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

$102 ฿3,402

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

$11.33 ฿376

$40.10 EC$108

-71.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$64.0 EC$173

-72.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,729

$36.63 EC$98.9

42.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿255

$11.29 EC$30.47

-31.89%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,093

$56.2 EC$152

12.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿980

$24.41 EC$65.9

20.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,254

$56.1 EC$151

74.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,938

$67.6 EC$183

30.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$255 EC$690

189.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$221 EC$596

118.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿69.9K

$655 EC$1,769

221.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.7K

$625 EC$1,687

96.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$627 EC$1,692

-21.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $255 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $290 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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Portsmouth. 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 $255 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Portsmouth versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Portsmouth is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.