Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Retford Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Retford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,159 in Retford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,360 in Retford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $3,560 in Retford.

Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than in Retford, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Retford 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$15.17 £11.22

-69.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$66.7 £49.37

-51.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.35 £5.44

21.09%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.3

$4.11 £3.04

-31.87%

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

$0.88 ฿28.96

$1.82 £1.35

-51.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.09

$1.84 £1.36

-73.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.6

$4.38 £3.24

-45.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$4.32 £3.20

-14.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.84 £1.36

-2.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.43

$1.92 £1.42

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.40 £1.03

12.86%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿70.0

$4.86 £3.59

-56.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.40 £8.43

74.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.19 £3.10

-18.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿373

$12.76 £9.44

-11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$1.38 £1.02

113.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.37 £1.01

25.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.35 £1.00

71.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$1.73 £1.28

20.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.37

$1.46 £1.08

0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.68

$1.56 £1.15

-12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.15

$0.42 £0.31

161.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.90

$1.60 £1.19

-64.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$23.60 £17.46

-81.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$7.96 £5.89

131.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.6

$1.72 £1.27

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.09 £1.54

39.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$2.76 £2.04

-19.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.7

$13.64 £10.09

-77.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.34

$3.99 £2.95

-73.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.09

$2.07 £1.53

-28.02%

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

$27.1K ฿892.5K

$40.4K £29.9K

-32.93%

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

$27.5K ฿903.2K

$44.4K £32.9K

-38.24%

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

$103 ฿3,382

$353 £261

-70.86%

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

$10.99 ฿362

$28.89 £21.38

-61.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$47.34 £35.02

-63.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,761

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$16.50 £12.21

-54.67%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$1,986 £1,469

-71.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿390.0K

$24.6K £18.2K

-51.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,108

$87.5 £64.7

-26.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿957

$61.4 £45.46

-52.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,157

$112 £83.0

-14.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,972

$160 £118

-43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.8K

$1,146 £847

82.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$1,100 £814

9.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.3K

$2,197 £1,626

63.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.7K

$2,039 £1,508

23.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$1,746 £1,292

-71.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.3

5.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Retford: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Retford pays 247% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $67.0 in Retford. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $242, with Retford 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 Retford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Retford is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 247% lower in Retford. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $1,986 in Retford. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Retford – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,159 in Retford versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Retford but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Retford the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Retford 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 Retford 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 Retford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.