Cost of Living Comparison Between Retford and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Retford and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Retford versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,360 in Retford versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,560 in Retford versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Retford costs roughly 7% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Retford 16% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 £11.22

$4.56 ฿150

232.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £49.37

$32.62 ฿1,073

104.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 £5.44

$8.90 ฿293

-17.42%

Cappuccino

$4.11 £3.04

$2.80 ฿92.3

46.79%

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

$1.82 £1.35

$0.88 ฿28.96

106.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.49 ฿16.09

275.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 £3.24

$2.39 ฿78.6

83.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 £3.20

$3.71 ฿122

16.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.79 ฿58.8

2.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.42

$1.44 ฿47.43

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 £1.03

$1.58 ฿52.1

-11.39%

Eggs

$4.86 £3.59

$2.13 ฿70.0

128.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 £8.43

$19.92 ฿655

-42.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 £3.10

$3.43 ฿113

22.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 £9.44

$11.33 ฿373

12.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$2.95 ฿97.0

-53.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.01

$1.72 ฿56.6

-20.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$2.32 ฿76.5

-41.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.08 ฿68.5

-16.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 £1.08

$1.47 ฿48.37

-0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.15

$1.36 ฿44.68

14.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 £0.31

$1.10 ฿36.15

-61.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.19

$0.57 ฿18.90

180.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.60 £17.46

$4.27 ฿140

452.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 £5.89

$18.42 ฿606

-56.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.87 ฿61.6

-8.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 £1.54

$2.92 ฿96.1

-28.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.04

$2.22 ฿73.0

24.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.64 £10.09

$3.03 ฿99.7

350.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 £2.95

$1.07 ฿35.34

272.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$1.49 ฿49.09

38.93%

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

$40.4K £29.9K

$27.1K ฿892.5K

49.10%

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

$44.4K £32.9K

$27.5K ฿903.2K

61.91%

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

$353 £261

$103 ฿3,382

243.16%

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

$28.89 £21.38

$10.99 ฿362

162.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.34 £35.02

$17.51 ฿576

170.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,761

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$16.50 £12.21

$7.48 ฿246

120.59%

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

$1,986 £1,469

$557 ฿18.3K

256.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K £18.2K

$11.9K ฿390.0K

107.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 £64.7

$64.1 ฿2,108

36.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 £45.46

$29.07 ฿957

111.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.0

$96.0 ฿3,157

16.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 £118

$90.3 ฿2,972

77.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 £847

$2,090 ฿68.8K

-45.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 £814

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-9.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,197 £1,626

$3,596 ฿118.3K

-38.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,039 £1,508

$2,512 ฿82.7K

-18.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 £1,292

$503 ฿16.6K

246.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

5.57

-4.85%

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

Last update for Retford: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Retford pays 247% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Retford vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $273, with Retford 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

Retford vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Retford is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 247% higher in Retford, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,986 in Retford versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Retford – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,159 in Retford versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Retford but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Retford the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Retford 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, Retford 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 Retford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.