Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wells

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,387 in Wells, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Wells
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,387
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Wells

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 Wells actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,387 in Wells.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Wells $2,387

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $3,377 in Wells.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Wells $3,377

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $4,367 in Wells.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Wells $4,367

Living in Phuket costs roughly 49% less than in Wells, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Wells is 77% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Wells
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$19.62 £14.72
-76.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$97.1 £72.8
-66.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$9.52 £7.14
-10.19%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$4.72 £3.54
-42.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$2.19 £1.64
-57.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$2.46 £1.85
-80.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$6.77 £5.08
-61.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$6.33 £4.75
-39.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Wells
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$1.45 £1.09
20.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$1.29 £0.97
10.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$1.69 £1.27
-9.47%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$3.92 £2.94
-44.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$8.55 £6.41
123.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$4.62 £3.47
-28.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$12.05 £9.04
-7.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$2.99 £2.24
-1.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$1.35 £1.01
24.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$2.16 £1.62
6.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$3.14 £2.35
-32.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$0.77 £0.58
98.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$1.33 £1.00
2.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$1.52 £1.14
-26.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$1.77 £1.33
-68.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$23.49 £17.62
-81.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$9.38 £7.04
93.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$3.37 £2.53
-48.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$2.59 £1.95
7.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Wells
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
$3.45 £2.59
-35.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
$96.9 £72.7
-77.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$5.67 £4.25
-48.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$1.08 £0.81
-6.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$23.91 £17.94
-83.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$1.99 £1.50
-25.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$37.6K £28.2K
-29.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$40.5K £30.4K
-34.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Wells
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$466 £349
-78.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$13.39 £10.04
-15.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$40.29 £30.23
-56.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Wells
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
$45.14 £33.87
15.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$12.78 £9.59
-40.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Wells
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$1,444 £1,083
-61.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$17.1K £12.9K
-32.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Wells
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$36.71 £27.54
71.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$31.79 £23.85
-10.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$59.6 £44.67
61.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$75.5 £56.6
16.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Wells
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$1,237 £928
-41.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$1,022 £766
-54.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
$2,077 £1,558
0.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
$1,555 £1,167
-21.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
$4,978 £3,735
-30.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
$3,881 £2,912
-35.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Wells
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.11
9.00%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Wells: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Wells
$1K 122% $562
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Wells
$255 4.7% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Wells
$520 306% $392
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Wells
$92 26.2% $32
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Wells
$307 153% $186
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Wells
$71 4.9% $3.3
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Wells
$122 213% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,237 in Wells. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $97.0 in Wells. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $255, with Wells cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇧 Wells
🕒 Local time
23:44 11:44 PM
17:44 5:44 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
11,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Wells 10,080 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Wells

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 Wells: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wells cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $3,581 in Wells 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 Wells?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $1,237 in Wells. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $1,444 in Wells. 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 in Wells?
Shoppers in Wells pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Wells?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,387 in Wells, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wells. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Wells more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Wells, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Wells?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Wells 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 98% less than in Wells. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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