Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wick

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,492 in Wick, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Wick, United Kingdom
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Wick
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,492
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Wick

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,492 in Wick.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Wick $2,492

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,441 in Wick.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Wick $3,441

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $4,390 in Wick.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Wick $4,390

Living in Phuket costs roughly 48% less than in Wick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Wick is 84% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Wick
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$20.33 £15.08
-78.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,086
$67.8 £50.3
-52.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿293
$10.81 £8.02
-19.52%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.6
$3.90 £2.89
-30.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.28
$2.04 £1.51
-54.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.79
$2.19 £1.62
-77.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.1
$7.10 £5.26
-64.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$7.69 £5.70
-52.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Wick
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.5
$1.50 £1.11
16.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.77
$1.73 £1.28
-16.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.03 £1.51
-26.11%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.0
$4.45 £3.30
-51.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿642
$8.60 £6.38
121.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$12.23 £9.07
-72.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿366
$16.74 £12.42
-34.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.9
$2.43 £1.80
20.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.36 £1.01
24.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.8
$2.73 £2.03
-19.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.4
$3.80 £2.82
-44.21%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.03
$1.63 £1.21
-10.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.99
$0.83 £0.62
65.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.17
$1.21 £0.90
-10.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.34
$1.62 £1.20
-66.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$22.09 £16.38
-79.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿614
$11.18 £8.29
63.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.6
$2.71 £2.01
-34.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.8
$3.02 £2.24
-4.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Wick
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.66
$4.04 £2.99
-64.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,845
$105 £77.8
-47.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$4.10 £3.04
-63.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.08
$2.36 £1.75
-66.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$24.07 £17.85
-84.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.0
$1.89 £1.40
-21.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿903.7K
$39.1K £29.0K
-31.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿885.7K
$40.1K £29.8K
-34.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Wick
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,288
$407 £302
-75.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿380
$27.75 £20.58
-59.32%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿578
$42.96 £31.86
-59.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Wick
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,297
$40.20 £29.81
69.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿367
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿250
$11.67 £8.65
-36.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Wick
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.8K
$1,851 £1,373
-71.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿631.4K
$23.6K £17.5K
-20.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Wick
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,073
$96.1 £71.3
-35.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿950
$48.59 £36.03
-41.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,228
$106 £78.4
-9.19%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,919
$113 £84.1
-23.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Wick
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.2K
$1,295 £960
-44.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.1K
$1,022 £758
-50.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.6K
$2,306 £1,710
-15.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.0K
$1,413 £1,048
-1.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿140.9K
$5,026 £3,727
-16.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.9K
$3,390 £2,514
-2.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Wick
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Wick: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Wick
$1K 101% $513
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Wick
$318 19.2% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Wick
$478 278% $352
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Wick
$164 33.4% $41
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Wick
$310 159% $190
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Wick
$64 23.6% $20
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Wick
$137 107% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,295 in Wick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $68 in Wick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $318 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇧 Wick
🕒 Local time
21:15 9:15 PM
14:15 2:15 PM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
6,900
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.742 GBP (1 GBP = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 0.831 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Wick 9,920 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Wick

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 Wick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Wick?
Phuket is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $3,738 in Wick 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 Wick?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $1,295 in Wick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $1,851 in Wick. 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 Wick?
Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Wick. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Wick?
At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,492 in Wick, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wick. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Wick?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Wick?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Wick are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Wick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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