🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,343 in Stourbridge.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $3,425 in Stourbridge.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $4,506 in Stourbridge.
🙂Living in Phuket costs roughly 47% less than in Stourbridge, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 7% below, Stourbridge is 74% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Stourbridge
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.59฿147
$20.30£15.05
-77.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.83฿1,501
$82.7£61.3
-43.39%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.70฿279
$9.23£6.84
-5.74%
Cappuccino
$2.92฿93.7
$4.62£3.42
-36.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68฿21.92
$2.37£1.76
-71.31%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40฿12.70
$1.73£1.28
-76.88%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.51฿80.4
$5.41£4.01
-53.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80฿122
$5.98£4.43
-36.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Stourbridge
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.16฿69.3
$1.40£1.04
54.29%
White Bread(500g)
$1.88฿60.3
$1.41£1.04
33.33%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.16฿69.2
$2.13£1.58
1.41%
Eggs
$2.22฿71.2
$3.62£2.68
-38.67%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.57฿627
$9.93£7.36
97.08%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.80฿122
$7.88£5.84
-51.78%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.41฿430
$13.47£9.98
-0.45%
Apples(1kg)
$3.26฿104
$2.50£1.85
30.40%
Banana(1kg)
$1.61฿51.7
$1.53£1.13
5.23%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.31฿74.0
$2.05£1.52
12.68%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.06฿66.0
$2.69£1.99
-23.42%
Potato(1kg)
$1.61฿51.5
$1.70£1.26
-5.29%
Onion(1kg)
$1.44฿46.26
$1.49£1.11
-3.36%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.03฿33.01
$1.26£0.93
-18.25%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48฿15.39
$1.31£0.97
-63.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.50฿144
$19.40£14.37
-76.80%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.18฿615
$11.32£8.38
69.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82฿58.4
$2.87£2.13
-36.59%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69฿86.2
$2.51£1.86
7.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Stourbridge
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.38฿44.16
$3.30£2.44
-58.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.76฿377
$88.9£65.9
-86.77%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.11฿99.6
$6.02£4.46
-48.34%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.18
$1.20£0.89
-16.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$13.74฿441
$22.50£16.67
-38.93%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.30฿41.61
$1.91£1.41
-31.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K฿877.0K
$38.3K£28.4K
-28.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.0K฿1.1M
$39.4K£29.2K
-16.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Stourbridge
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,004
$327£242
-61.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.74฿440
$17.90£13.26
-23.24%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.61฿597
$34.56£25.61
-46.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Stourbridge
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.6฿1,941
$45.28£33.55
33.72%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.15฿550
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.01฿289
$18.44£13.66
-51.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Stourbridge
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.4K
$1,624£1,203
-57.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$16.1K฿516.5K
$19.3K£14.3K
-16.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Stourbridge
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.2฿1,898
$101£74.7
-41.25%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.86฿1,118
$40.64£30.12
-14.22%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$114฿3,662
$89.6£66.4
27.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8฿2,751
$140£104
-38.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Stourbridge
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$619฿19.8K
$1,221£904
-49.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$437฿14.0K
$1,012£750
-56.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,075฿66.5K
$2,031£1,505
2.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,509฿48.4K
$1,668£1,236
-9.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,764฿120.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,694฿86.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Stourbridge
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$528฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
5.45
-2.20%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026
Last update for Stourbridge: April 14, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $1,221 in Stourbridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $83 in Stourbridge. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $275, with Stourbridge 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 Stourbridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stourbridge cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,870 in Phuket and $3,515 in Stourbridge to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Stourbridge?
Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $1,221 in Stourbridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $1,624 in Stourbridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and Stourbridge?
Shoppers in Stourbridge pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Stourbridge?
At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,343 in Stourbridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Stourbridge. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Stourbridge more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Stourbridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Stourbridge?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Stourbridge are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Stourbridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.