Cost of Living Comparison Between Poole and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Poole and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,631 in Poole versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Poole versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,265 in Poole versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Poole is roughly 114% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Poole is 92% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.28 £17.40

$4.41 ฿147

427.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.8 £74.5

$32.26 ฿1,077

209.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 £8.17

$8.93 ฿298

22.40%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.69

$2.90 ฿96.6

70.34%

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

$3.19 £2.38

$0.88 ฿29.38

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.54

$0.48 ฿16.06

329.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.88 £5.14

$2.35 ฿78.5

192.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 £5.38

$3.72 ฿124

93.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.87 ฿62.3

-9.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.47 ฿48.94

34.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 £1.76

$1.55 ฿51.8

52.26%

Eggs

$4.21 £3.14

$2.10 ฿70.1

100.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.24 £4.67

$19.59 ฿654

-68.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 £7.12

$3.42 ฿114

178.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.73 £9.51

$11.38 ฿380

11.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.73

$2.98 ฿99.6

-22.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.68 ฿56.2

5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 £1.41

$2.21 ฿73.7

-14.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.20 £1.64

$2.16 ฿72.1

1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 £1.60

$1.52 ฿50.9

40.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 £1.09

$1.34 ฿44.67

8.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.13 ฿37.67

65.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.49

$0.55 ฿18.24

263.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.34 £18.19

$4.26 ฿142

471.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.73 £7.27

$19.09 ฿637

-49.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 £2.23

$1.78 ฿59.4

67.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 £1.87

$2.78 ฿92.9

-9.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.94 £2.94

$2.23 ฿74.4

76.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 £57.7

$22.74 ฿759

239.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 £2.56

$3.03 ฿101

13.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 £1.85

$1.02 ฿34.15

142.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.21 £16.60

$3.89 ฿130

470.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.49 ฿49.77

30.20%

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

$39.5K £29.5K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

48.51%

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

$41.0K £30.7K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

51.81%

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

$362 £271

$102 ฿3,420

253.28%

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

$17.08 £12.76

$11.33 ฿378

50.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 £32.37

$17.40 ฿581

148.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.8 £60.4

$52.1 ฿1,738

55.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$20.91 £15.63

$7.69 ฿257

171.91%

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

$1,633 £1,220

$561 ฿18.7K

191.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K £25.9K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

201.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 £71.6

$63.0 ฿2,104

51.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.91 £29.82

$29.52 ฿986

35.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 £75.3

$98.0 ฿3,272

2.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 £62.7

$88.5 ฿2,954

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 £903

$738 ฿24.6K

63.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 £918

$482 ฿16.1K

154.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,333 £1,743

$2,107 ฿70.3K

10.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 £1,607

$1,226 ฿40.9K

75.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,172 £1,623

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-16.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,340 £2,496

$494 ฿16.5K

576.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Poole: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,209 in Poole and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Poole pays 577% 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: $100 in Poole vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $274 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

Poole vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 577% higher in Poole, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,209 in Poole versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,633 in Poole versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Poole. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,631 in Poole, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Poole. 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 Poole, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Poole 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Poole. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.