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 $2,574 in Portsmouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $3,644 in Portsmouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $4,714 in Portsmouth.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 51% less than in Portsmouth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Portsmouth is 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$22.96 £17.08

-80.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$85.8 £63.8

-46.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$8.79 £6.54

0.57%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.46 £3.32

-31.39%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$2.21 £1.64

-66.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$1.74 £1.30

-77.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$6.05 £4.50

-59.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$6.26 £4.66

-39.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.63 £1.21

38.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.52 £1.13

19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.86 £2.13

-21.33%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$3.17 £2.36

-29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.76 £6.51

122.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$7.35 £5.47

-50.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$15.07 £11.21

-13.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.27 £3.18

-24.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.19 £1.63

-26.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$3.06 £2.27

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$4.85 £3.61

-58.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.23 £0.92

24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.66 £1.24

-9.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.10 £0.81

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.86 £1.38

-72.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$17.38 £12.93

-74.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$11.49 £8.55

59.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$3.04 £2.26

-38.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.81 £1.34

48.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$3.46 £2.57

-59.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$89.7 £66.7

-86.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$4.70 £3.49

-33.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.74 £1.30

-40.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$16.44 £12.23

-14.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.96 £1.46

-33.16%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$38.2K £28.4K

-27.22%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$40.7K £30.3K

-18.48%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$454 £338

-73.03%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$15.59 £11.60

-12.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$41.66 £30.99

-55.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$35.82 £26.64

68.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$20.42 £15.19

-16.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$10.76 £8.01

-15.71%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$1,283 £954

-44.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$18.1K £13.4K

-12.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$83.4 £62.0

-29.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$42.06 £31.29

-15.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$88.4 £65.7

30.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$135 £101

-38.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$1,397 £1,039

-55.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$1,082 £805

-58.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,927 £1,433

5.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,710 £1,272

-12.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$4,472 £3,327

-22.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,822 £2,843

-32.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$3,463 £2,576

-85.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.9

-9.66%

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 $1,397 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth pays 593% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $86.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $310 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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 593% 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 $1,397 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $1,283 in Portsmouth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Portsmouth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,574 in Portsmouth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Portsmouth. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Portsmouth, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Portsmouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.