😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,325 in Rotherham versus $1,265 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,471 in Rotherham versus $2,297 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,616 in Rotherham versus $3,329 in Phuket.
😐Living in Rotherham is roughly 84% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Rotherham is 74% above, Phuket is 6% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rotherham
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.19£15.01
$4.70฿153
329.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$96.4£71.7
$45.37฿1,482
112.52%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.78£8.01
$8.43฿275
27.88%
Cappuccino
$5.07£3.77
$2.93฿95.6
73.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45£1.82
$0.69฿22.40
255.07%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.69£1.25
$0.37฿11.99
356.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.60£4.16
$2.41฿78.6
132.37%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.04£4.49
$3.72฿122
62.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rotherham
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.60£1.19
$2.23฿72.9
-28.25%
White Bread(500g)
$1.51£1.12
$1.83฿59.8
-17.49%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.25£1.67
$2.17฿70.8
3.69%
Eggs
$3.97£2.95
$2.21฿72.3
79.64%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.43£7.01
$19.74฿645
-52.23%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.91£6.62
$3.63฿119
145.45%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$12.04£8.95
$13.53฿442
-11.01%
Apples(1kg)
$3.18£2.36
$3.28฿107
-3.05%
Banana(1kg)
$1.51£1.12
$1.61฿52.6
-6.21%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.96£2.20
$2.41฿78.6
22.82%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.37£2.51
$2.08฿68.1
62.02%
Potato(1kg)
$2.04£1.51
$1.53฿49.93
33.33%
Onion(1kg)
$1.41£1.05
$1.48฿48.36
-4.73%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.27£0.94
$0.99฿32.29
28.28%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.42£1.06
$0.51฿16.67
178.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$18.76£13.95
$4.41฿144
325.40%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.34£7.68
$19.38฿633
-46.65%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52£1.88
$1.78฿58.1
41.57%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41£2.53
$2.71฿88.6
25.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Rotherham
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.80£2.08
$1.37฿44.79
104.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$89.5£66.5
$11.39฿372
685.95%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.33£3.96
$3.02฿98.6
76.49%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.08£0.80
$0.99฿32.48
9.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$20.23£15.04
$14.10฿461
43.48%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.92£1.42
$1.36฿44.51
41.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.7K£28.7K
$28.2K฿921.1K
37.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K£28.8K
$32.9K฿1.1M
17.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rotherham
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$310£230
$122฿3,975
154.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.46£13.72
$13.57฿443
36.04%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.28£32.17
$18.31฿598
136.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rotherham
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.92£33.39
$60.2฿1,967
-25.41%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.14฿560
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.31£9.89
$8.69฿284
53.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rotherham
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,259£935
$693฿22.6K
81.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,663£4,952
$15.7K฿512.3K
-57.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rotherham
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.5£63.5
$59.5฿1,944
43.59%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.65£30.96
$34.77฿1,136
19.79%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$89.4£66.4
$115฿3,743
-22.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107£79.2
$83.3฿2,720
27.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rotherham
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,199£891
$613฿20.0K
95.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$996£741
$437฿14.3K
127.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,017£1,499
$2,094฿68.4K
-3.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,700£1,263
$1,509฿49.3K
12.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,749฿122.5K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,616฿85.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rotherham
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,880£1,397
$508฿16.6K
269.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.65
5.33
6.00%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Rotherham: May 30, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,199 in Rotherham and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Rotherham pays 270% 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: $96.0 in Rotherham vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $293, with Rotherham 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
Rotherham vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Rotherham?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Rotherham or Phuket?
Rotherham pays 270% 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 Rotherham and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,199 in Rotherham versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,259 in Rotherham versus $693 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 Rotherham and Phuket?
Shoppers in Rotherham pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Rotherham or Phuket?
At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,325 in Rotherham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rotherham. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Rotherham or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rotherham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Rotherham or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Rotherham 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 84% less than in Rotherham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.