Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,166 in Portsmouth versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Portsmouth versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,546 in Portsmouth versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Portsmouth costs roughly 7% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portsmouth 13% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.60 EC$15.12

$4.55 ฿153

23.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 EC$148

$46.18 ฿1,553

18.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 EC$17.46

$8.84 ฿297

-26.81%

Cappuccino

$2.65 EC$7.14

$3.06 ฿103

-13.40%

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

$2.24 EC$6.04

$0.73 ฿24.40

206.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 EC$4.94

$0.40 ฿13.39

357.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.61 EC$7.06

$2.43 ฿81.8

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 EC$9.75

$3.78 ฿127

-4.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.85 EC$7.70

$2.26 ฿76.0

26.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 EC$6.08

$1.81 ฿60.9

24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 EC$5.64

$2.25 ฿75.8

-7.11%

Eggs

$6.64 EC$17.94

$2.25 ฿75.5

195.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.64 EC$7.13

$19.51 ฿656

-86.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 EC$14.79

$3.65 ฿123

50.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

Apples (1kg)

$7.21 EC$19.47

$3.23 ฿109

123.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 EC$6.79

$1.62 ฿54.4

54.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.11 EC$11.11

$2.38 ฿80.1

72.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 EC$10.73

$2.03 ฿68.1

96.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 EC$7.54

$1.53 ฿51.6

82.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 EC$7.58

$1.50 ฿50.5

87.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 EC$4.91

$0.98 ฿32.91

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 EC$4.97

$0.52 ฿17.39

253.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 EC$30.12

$18.32 ฿616

-39.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 EC$4.88

$1.86 ฿62.7

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 EC$6.86

$2.68 ฿90.1

-5.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 EC$2.03

$1.41 ฿47.46

-46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 EC$9.79

$3.11 ฿105

16.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.67 EC$9.91

$1.04 ฿35.06

252.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

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

$122 ฿4,118

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

$40.32 EC$109

$13.59 ฿457

196.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.5 EC$177

$18.70 ฿629

250.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.35 EC$101

$60.5 ฿2,034

-38.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$11.26 EC$30.40

$9.07 ฿305

24.15%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 EC$150

$58.6 ฿1,969

-4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.51 EC$66.2

$35.36 ฿1,189

-30.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.3 EC$149

$115 ฿3,883

-52.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.5 EC$182

$83.7 ฿2,816

-19.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 EC$1,281

$626 ฿21.0K

-24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 EC$1,216

$445 ฿15.0K

1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 EC$2,679

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-51.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 EC$2,351

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-41.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$629 EC$1,697

$500 ฿16.8K

25.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Portsmouth: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Portsmouth and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Portsmouth vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $289, with Portsmouth cheaper for home cooking.

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

Portsmouth vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Portsmouth, 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: $475 in Portsmouth versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,166 in Portsmouth versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Portsmouth is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.