Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stanley

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,960 in Stanley, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Stanley

🇫🇰 Falkland Islands

$2,960

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Stanley

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Stanley actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,960 in Stanley.

Phuket $1,294
Stanley $2,960

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $4,478 in Stanley.

Phuket $2,204
Stanley $4,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $5,996 in Stanley.

Phuket $3,115
Stanley $5,996

Living in Phuket costs roughly 56% less than in Stanley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Stanley is 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$26.42 FKP 19.63

-83.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$79.4 FKP 59.0

-59.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$4.37 FKP 3.24

-37.76%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$2.24 FKP 1.66

-58.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$1.43 FKP 1.06

-65.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$4.26 FKP 3.17

-40.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.58 FKP 1.92

40.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$2.21 FKP 1.64

-21.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$3.13 FKP 2.33

-53.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.91 FKP 0.68

64.84%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$7.10 FKP 5.27

-69.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$3.04 FKP 2.26

527.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$9.91 FKP 7.36

-65.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$12.03 FKP 8.94

-9.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$9.34 FKP 6.94

-68.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$5.40 FKP 4.01

-68.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$10.64 FKP 7.91

-79.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$8.37 FKP 6.22

-74.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$3.24 FKP 2.41

-54.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$0.72 FKP 0.53

90.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$4.29 FKP 3.19

-74.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$16.37 FKP 12.16

-72.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$12.00 FKP 8.91

52.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.48 FKP 1.84

16.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$6.55 FKP 4.87

-76.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.94 FKP 1.44

-23.20%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$392 FKP 291

-75.05%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$76.7 FKP 57.0

-85.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$453 FKP 337

-96.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$22.12 FKP 16.44

208.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$12.39 FKP 9.21

-40.03%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$112 FKP 83.2

-44.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$93.4 FKP 69.4

-69.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$160 FKP 118

-39.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$106 FKP 78.6

-17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,464 FKP 1,087

-50.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,067 FKP 792

-52.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$2,663 FKP 1,978

-26.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$2,406 FKP 1,787

-41.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$3,966 FKP 2,946

-87.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.75

-28.13%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Stanley: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Stanley

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Stanley

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Stanley

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Stanley

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Stanley

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Stanley

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Stanley

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,464 in Stanley. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stanley pays about 8.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $79 in Stanley for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $401 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇫🇰 Stanley

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

15:02 3:02 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,500 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Falkland Islands Pound FKP £

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 FKP = 1.35 USD

1 FKP = 1.2 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

FKP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Falkland Islands Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.743 FKP (1 FKP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.833 FKP (1 FKP = 1.2 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Phuket Stanley 14,680 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Stanley

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Stanley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Phuket. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,464 in Stanley. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Stanley. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $79 in Stanley. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,960 in Stanley, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Stanley. 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 Stanley are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Stanley on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.