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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,866 in Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,899 in Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,931 in Thames.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 32% less than in Thames, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Thames is 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$14.94 NZ$25.44

-68.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$77.1 NZ$131

-41.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$9.40 NZ$16.02

-10.32%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$3.38 NZ$5.75

-13.31%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$2.28 NZ$3.89

-69.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$2.21 NZ$3.76

-83.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$7.30 NZ$12.44

-66.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$7.17 NZ$12.21

-48.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.74 NZ$2.96

28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$2.10 NZ$3.57

-12.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$2.03 NZ$3.45

6.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$6.82 NZ$11.61

-67.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.89 NZ$15.13

122.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$9.68 NZ$16.49

-62.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.18 NZ$22.44

2.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.93 NZ$5.00

11.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.26 NZ$3.85

-28.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$3.33 NZ$5.68

-27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$3.98 NZ$6.78

-47.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.07 NZ$3.53

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.65 NZ$2.81

-10.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.89 NZ$3.23

-47.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.28 NZ$2.17

-60.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$25.49 NZ$43.40

-82.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$10.01 NZ$17.05

93.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.95 NZ$5.03

-39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.86 NZ$6.57

-29.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$2.13 NZ$3.62

-35.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$64.1 NZ$109

-82.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$2.15 NZ$3.65

40.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.92 NZ$3.28

-48.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$34.69 NZ$59.1

-59.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.65 NZ$2.81

-17.58%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$28.4K NZ$48.4K

-0.71%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.3K NZ$37.9K

47.78%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$141 NZ$241

-13.85%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$30.14 NZ$51.3

-54.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$48.45 NZ$82.5

-62.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$36.47 NZ$62.1

65.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.89 NZ$20.26

44.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$15.18 NZ$25.85

-42.75%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$900 NZ$1,533

-22.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$13.5K NZ$23.0K

16.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$69.5 NZ$118

-14.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$49.36 NZ$84.1

-29.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$96.8 NZ$165

18.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$125 NZ$214

-33.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$979 NZ$1,667

-37.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$773 NZ$1,316

-43.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,545 NZ$2,631

35.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,442 NZ$2,455

4.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,612 NZ$7,854

-18.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$3,448 NZ$5,871

-24.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.37

-16.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Thames: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $979 in Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $77.0 in Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $325 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $2,799 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: $613 in Phuket versus $979 in Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $900 in Thames. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Thames. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,866 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 48% less than in Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.