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: $932 in Portsmouth versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,647 in Portsmouth versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Portsmouth versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Portsmouth costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portsmouth 32% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 EC$14.81

$4.41 ฿146

24.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 EC$148

$32.26 ฿1,071

70.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 EC$17.70

$8.93 ฿297

-26.54%

Cappuccino

$2.61 EC$7.04

$2.90 ฿96.1

-10.00%

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

$2.16 EC$5.82

$0.88 ฿29.22

145.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 EC$4.88

$0.48 ฿15.97

277.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 EC$6.82

$2.35 ฿78.1

7.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 EC$10.15

$3.72 ฿124

1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 EC$7.42

$1.87 ฿61.9

47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 EC$6.04

$1.47 ฿48.68

52.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 EC$5.63

$1.55 ฿51.5

34.84%

Eggs

$6.55 EC$17.68

$2.10 ฿69.8

211.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.55 EC$6.89

$19.59 ฿650

-86.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.60 EC$15.13

$3.42 ฿114

63.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

Apples (1kg)

$7.30 EC$19.71

$2.98 ฿99.1

144.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 EC$7.12

$1.68 ฿55.9

57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 EC$11.30

$2.21 ฿73.3

89.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 EC$10.89

$2.16 ฿71.8

86.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 EC$7.59

$1.52 ฿50.6

84.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 EC$7.55

$1.34 ฿44.43

108.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 EC$5.04

$1.13 ฿37.47

65.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 EC$5.06

$0.55 ฿18.14

240.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 EC$30.46

$19.09 ฿634

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 EC$4.94

$1.78 ฿59.1

2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 EC$7.20

$2.78 ฿92.4

-3.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 EC$2.09

$2.23 ฿74.0

-65.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿755

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 EC$10.11

$3.03 ฿101

23.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 EC$9.90

$1.02 ฿33.96

258.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.50

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

$26.6K ฿882.5K

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

$27.0K ฿897.4K

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

$102 ฿3,402

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

$40.10 EC$108

$11.33 ฿376

253.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 EC$173

$17.40 ฿578

267.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.63 EC$98.9

$52.1 ฿1,729

-29.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$11.29 EC$30.47

$7.69 ฿255

46.81%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 EC$152

$63.0 ฿2,093

-10.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.41 EC$65.9

$29.52 ฿980

-17.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.1 EC$151

$98.0 ฿3,254

-42.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 EC$183

$88.5 ฿2,938

-23.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 EC$690

$738 ฿24.5K

-65.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 EC$596

$482 ฿16.0K

-54.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 EC$1,769

$2,107 ฿69.9K

-68.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 EC$1,687

$1,226 ฿40.7K

-49.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$627 EC$1,692

$494 ฿16.4K

26.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Portsmouth: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Portsmouth and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth pays 27% 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 $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 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

Portsmouth vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $255 in Portsmouth versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Portsmouth versus $1,232 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.