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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,166 in Portsmouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,856 in Portsmouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,546 in Portsmouth.

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than in Portsmouth, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Portsmouth 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.60 EC$15.12

-18.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$54.9 EC$148

-15.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.47 EC$17.46

36.63%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.65 EC$7.14

15.47%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.24 EC$6.04

-67.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.83 EC$4.94

-78.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.61 EC$7.06

-6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.61 EC$9.75

4.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.85 EC$7.70

-20.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.25 EC$6.08

-19.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.09 EC$5.64

7.66%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$6.64 EC$17.94

-66.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$2.64 EC$7.13

639.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.48 EC$14.79

-33.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$7.21 EC$19.47

-55.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.51 EC$6.79

-35.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$4.11 EC$11.11

-42.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$3.98 EC$10.73

-48.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.79 EC$7.54

-45.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.81 EC$7.58

-46.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.82 EC$4.91

-46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.84 EC$4.97

-71.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$11.16 EC$30.12

64.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.81 EC$4.88

2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.54 EC$6.86

5.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.75 EC$2.03

88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.62 EC$9.79

-14.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$3.67 EC$9.91

-71.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿4,118

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

$13.59 ฿457

$40.32 EC$109

-66.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$65.5 EC$177

-71.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$37.35 EC$101

61.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$11.26 EC$30.40

-19.45%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$55.7 EC$150

5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$24.51 EC$66.2

44.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$55.3 EC$149

108.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$67.5 EC$182

24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$475 EC$1,281

31.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$450 EC$1,216

-1.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$992 EC$2,679

105.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$871 EC$2,351

71.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$629 EC$1,697

-20.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $475 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $289 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 Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 26% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $475 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Portsmouth versus $1,250 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 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.