😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,524 in Salisbury versus $1,247 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,479 in Salisbury versus $2,276 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,435 in Salisbury versus $3,306 in Phuket.
😐Living in Salisbury is roughly 102% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Salisbury is 87% above, Phuket is 7% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.93£16.99
$4.59฿147
399.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$92.0£68.2
$46.83฿1,501
96.41%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.24£6.85
$8.70฿279
6.21%
Cappuccino
$4.56£3.38
$2.92฿93.7
56.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22£1.64
$0.68฿21.92
226.47%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73£1.29
$0.40฿12.70
332.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.99£4.44
$2.51฿80.4
138.65%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.02£4.46
$3.80฿122
58.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.64£1.22
$2.16฿69.3
-24.07%
White Bread(500g)
$1.12£0.83
$1.88฿60.3
-40.43%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.88£2.14
$2.16฿69.2
33.33%
Eggs
$3.04£2.25
$2.22฿71.2
36.94%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.52£6.31
$19.57฿627
-56.46%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.18£5.32
$3.80฿122
88.95%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$15.38£11.40
$13.41฿430
14.69%
Apples(1kg)
$1.85£1.37
$3.26฿104
-43.25%
Banana(1kg)
$1.31£0.97
$1.61฿51.7
-18.63%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.92£2.17
$2.31฿74.0
26.41%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.79£3.55
$2.06฿66.0
132.52%
Potato(1kg)
$1.24£0.92
$1.61฿51.5
-22.98%
Onion(1kg)
$1.20£0.89
$1.44฿46.26
-16.67%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.93£0.69
$1.03฿33.01
-9.71%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.09£0.81
$0.48฿15.39
127.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$16.08£11.92
$4.50฿144
257.33%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.06£7.46
$19.18฿615
-47.55%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98£1.47
$1.82฿58.4
8.79%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80£1.33
$2.69฿86.2
-33.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$5.51£4.08
$1.38฿44.16
299.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$111£82.5
$11.76฿377
846.43%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$4.71£3.49
$3.11฿99.6
51.45%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.52£1.13
$1.00฿32.18
52.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.27£12.05
$13.74฿441
18.41%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.91£1.41
$1.30฿41.61
46.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K£20.1K
$27.4K฿877.0K
-0.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K£25.1K
$33.0K฿1.1M
2.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$390£289
$125฿4,004
212.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.60£11.56
$13.74฿440
13.54%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.93£30.33
$18.61฿597
119.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$68.8£51.0
$60.6฿1,941
13.64%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.10£8.96
$17.15฿550
-29.45%
Cinema Ticket
$9.42£6.98
$9.01฿289
4.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,291£957
$698฿22.4K
85.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.6K£13.8K
$16.1K฿516.5K
15.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.1£52.7
$59.2฿1,898
20.13%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.42£15.13
$34.86฿1,118
-41.42%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$90.0£66.7
$114฿3,662
-21.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115£85.2
$85.8฿2,751
33.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,241£920
$619฿19.8K
100.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,138£843
$437฿14.0K
160.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,073£1,536
$2,075฿66.5K
-0.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,491£1,105
$1,509฿48.4K
-1.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,764฿120.7K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,832£3,580
$2,694฿86.4K
79.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,681£2,728
$528฿16.9K
596.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.77
5.33
8.26%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Salisbury: April 13, 2026
Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,241 in Salisbury and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Salisbury pays 597% 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: $92 in Salisbury vs $47 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $292, with Salisbury 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
Salisbury vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Salisbury?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Salisbury or Phuket?
Salisbury pays 597% 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 Salisbury and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,241 in Salisbury versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,291 in Salisbury versus $698 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 Salisbury and Phuket?
Shoppers in Salisbury pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Salisbury or Phuket?
At $1,247 in Phuket versus $2,524 in Salisbury, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Salisbury. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Salisbury or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Salisbury, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Salisbury or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Salisbury 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 102% less than in Salisbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.