😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,514 in Plymouth versus $1,247 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,794 in Plymouth versus $2,276 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,073 in Plymouth versus $3,306 in Phuket.
😐Living in Plymouth is roughly 102% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Plymouth is 87% above, Phuket is 7% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Plymouth
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.09£20.07
$4.59฿147
490.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$86.5£64.1
$46.83฿1,501
84.60%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.81£8.01
$8.70฿279
24.25%
Cappuccino
$4.65£3.45
$2.92฿93.7
59.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32£1.72
$0.68฿21.92
241.18%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56£1.15
$0.40฿12.70
290.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.72£4.98
$2.51฿80.4
167.73%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.86£5.08
$3.80฿122
80.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Plymouth
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.56£1.16
$2.16฿69.3
-27.78%
White Bread(500g)
$1.69£1.25
$1.88฿60.3
-10.11%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.67£1.98
$2.16฿69.2
23.61%
Eggs
$5.01£3.71
$2.22฿71.2
125.68%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.28£7.61
$19.57฿627
-47.47%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.77£6.50
$3.80฿122
130.79%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.35£10.63
$13.41฿430
7.01%
Apples(1kg)
$1.88£1.39
$3.26฿104
-42.33%
Banana(1kg)
$1.30£0.97
$1.61฿51.7
-19.25%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.73£2.76
$2.31฿74.0
61.47%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.68£2.72
$2.06฿66.0
78.64%
Potato(1kg)
$1.18£0.87
$1.61฿51.5
-26.71%
Onion(1kg)
$1.30£0.96
$1.44฿46.26
-9.72%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.69£1.25
$1.03฿33.01
64.08%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63£1.21
$0.48฿15.39
239.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$23.79£17.63
$4.50฿144
428.67%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.66£4.93
$19.18฿615
-65.28%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12£1.57
$1.82฿58.4
16.48%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92£2.91
$2.69฿86.2
45.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Plymouth
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.86£2.86
$1.38฿44.16
179.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$134£99.3
$11.76฿377
1039.71%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$6.76£5.01
$3.11฿99.6
117.36%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.64£1.21
$1.00฿32.18
64.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$27.34£20.26
$13.74฿441
98.98%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.96£1.45
$1.30฿41.61
50.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K£28.8K
$27.4K฿877.0K
42.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K£28.5K
$33.0K฿1.1M
16.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Plymouth
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$360£266
$125฿4,004
187.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.07£11.17
$13.74฿440
9.68%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.8£45.78
$18.61฿597
231.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Plymouth
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$51.8£38.35
$60.6฿1,941
-14.52%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.03£20.03
$17.15฿550
57.61%
Cinema Ticket
$13.03£9.65
$9.01฿289
44.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Plymouth
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$2,706£2,005
$698฿22.4K
287.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,148£6,038
$16.1K฿516.5K
-49.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Plymouth
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.7£59.0
$59.2฿1,898
34.52%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.6£38.21
$34.86฿1,118
47.93%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$95.4£70.7
$114฿3,662
-16.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.8£62.1
$85.8฿2,751
-2.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Plymouth
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,348£999
$619฿19.8K
117.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,072£794
$437฿14.0K
145.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,299£1,703
$2,075฿66.5K
10.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,934£1,433
$1,509฿48.4K
28.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,972£3,685
$3,764฿120.7K
32.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,325£2,464
$2,694฿86.4K
23.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Plymouth
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,105£2,301
$528฿16.9K
487.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.9
5.33
10.69%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Plymouth: April 13, 2026
Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,348 in Plymouth and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Plymouth pays 488% 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: $86 in Plymouth vs $47 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $292 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
Plymouth vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Plymouth?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Plymouth or Phuket?
Plymouth pays 488% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Plymouth and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,348 in Plymouth versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,706 in Plymouth versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Plymouth and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Plymouth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Plymouth or Phuket?
At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,514 in Plymouth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Plymouth. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Plymouth or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Plymouth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Plymouth or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Plymouth and Phuket 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 102% less than in Plymouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.