Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thames Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Thames

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,971 in Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $2,977 in Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $3,982 in Thames.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 40% less than in Thames, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Thames is 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$14.10 NZ$25.07

-69.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,090

$67.4 NZ$120

-51.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$9.62 NZ$17.09

-12.47%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.2

$3.34 NZ$5.93

-15.87%

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

$0.87 ฿29.38

$2.08 NZ$3.69

-58.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.44

$1.80 NZ$3.20

-74.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.8

$7.23 NZ$12.85

-64.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$6.90 NZ$12.28

-47.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.3

$1.86 NZ$3.30

-8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.56

$2.22 NZ$3.94

-34.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.4

$1.84 NZ$3.28

-15.22%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.5

$6.37 NZ$11.33

-67.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿656

$8.74 NZ$15.55

123.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$9.94 NZ$17.67

-65.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$17.20 NZ$30.57

-35.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.1

$2.95 NZ$5.25

-4.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$2.09 NZ$3.71

-22.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.7

$3.03 NZ$5.39

-26.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.1

$5.32 NZ$9.45

-59.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$2.23 NZ$3.97

-33.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.53

$1.57 NZ$2.79

-15.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.82

$2.00 NZ$3.55

-46.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.06

$1.06 NZ$1.88

-51.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$27.70 NZ$49.26

-84.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿630

$10.16 NZ$18.07

84.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$2.82 NZ$5.02

-38.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.2

$3.31 NZ$5.89

-16.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.8

$1.65 NZ$2.94

31.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿748

$84.2 NZ$150

-73.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$2.32 NZ$4.13

30.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.53

$2.03 NZ$3.61

-47.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$32.51 NZ$57.8

-88.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.03

$1.88 NZ$3.34

-23.94%

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

$26.3K ฿884.7K

$25.9K NZ$46.1K

1.58%

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

$26.2K ฿879.9K

$22.4K NZ$39.9K

16.77%

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

$96.7 ฿3,246

$186 NZ$331

-48.14%

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

$11.41 ฿383

$26.96 NZ$47.93

-57.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿574

$50.1 NZ$89.1

-65.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,773

$39.66 NZ$70.5

33.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿372

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿257

$13.22 NZ$23.51

-42.13%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$1,114 NZ$1,980

-50.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿378.8K

$19.4K NZ$34.4K

-41.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,130

$78.8 NZ$140

-19.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿961

$41.01 NZ$72.9

-30.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,248

$91.4 NZ$163

5.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,975

$109 NZ$193

-18.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$976 NZ$1,735

-24.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$825 NZ$1,468

-44.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.6K

$1,658 NZ$2,948

26.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.9K

$1,484 NZ$2,639

-20.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.3K

$4,859 NZ$8,638

-28.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.7K

$3,387 NZ$6,021

-26.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.4

3.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Thames: October 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $976 in Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $67.0 in Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $339 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 Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,785 in Phuket and $2,957 in Thames 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $735 in Phuket versus $976 in Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $1,114 in Thames. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Thames. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,971 in Thames, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Thames. 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 Thames, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Thames 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 66% less than in Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.