Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Swansea Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Swansea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,226 in Swansea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $3,196 in Swansea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $4,166 in Swansea.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 45% less than in Swansea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Swansea is 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$19.95 £14.91

-77.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$63.8 £47.69

-49.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$10.63 £7.94

-15.99%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.80 £3.59

-39.58%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.29 £1.71

-61.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.23 £0.92

-60.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$5.96 £4.45

-60.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.60 £4.93

-43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.36 £1.01

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.07 £1.55

-28.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.06 £1.54

-24.76%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.59 £2.68

-41.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.70 £5.76

154.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$8.64 £6.46

-60.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$13.07 £9.77

-12.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.40 £1.79

24.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.23 £0.92

36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.86 £2.14

-22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.70 £2.77

-41.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.30 £1.72

-33.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$3.01 £2.25

-55.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.35 £1.01

-16.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$2.30 £1.72

-76.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$24.32 £18.18

-82.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$10.94 £8.18

74.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.33 £1.74

-23.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.28 £2.45

-15.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$4.01 £3.00

-44.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$95.5 £71.4

-76.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.00 £2.99

-24.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.68 £2.00

-61.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$33.36 £24.93

-88.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.94 £1.45

-23.20%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$38.5K £28.7K

-30.89%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$40.8K £30.5K

-33.77%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$311 £232

-67.04%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$15.25 £11.40

-25.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$43.85 £32.77

-60.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$35.46 £26.50

46.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$15.24 £11.39

-27.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.96 £7.44

-22.79%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$1,484 £1,109

-62.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$89.9 £67.2

-29.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$48.86 £36.51

-39.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$123 £92.0

-20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$85.8 £64.2

3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$1,123 £839

-34.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$866 £647

-44.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,420 £1,062

48.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,429 £1,068

-14.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$3,889 £2,906

-7.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,924 £2,185

-10.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$3,262 £2,438

-84.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.04

-7.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Swansea: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $1,123 in Swansea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Swansea pays 561% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $64.0 in Swansea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $298 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 Swansea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 561% lower in Swansea. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $1,123 in Swansea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $1,484 in Swansea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Swansea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,226 in Swansea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Swansea. 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 Swansea, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Swansea 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 81% less than in Swansea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.