😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,572 in Salisbury versus $1,253 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,634 in Salisbury versus $2,043 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,696 in Salisbury versus $2,833 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Salisbury is roughly 105% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Salisbury is 87% above, Phuket is 9% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.43£20.29
$4.56฿150
501.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$92.5£68.5
$32.62฿1,072
183.66%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$13.10£9.69
$8.90฿293
47.19%
Cappuccino
$4.93£3.64
$2.80฿92.2
76.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55£2.62
$0.88฿28.93
303.41%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38£1.76
$0.49฿16.08
385.71%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.27£4.64
$2.39฿78.5
162.34%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.83£3.57
$3.71฿122
30.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.69£1.25
$1.79฿58.7
-5.59%
White Bread(500g)
$1.06£0.78
$1.44฿47.38
-26.39%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.92£1.42
$1.58฿52.1
21.52%
Eggs
$3.35£2.48
$2.13฿69.9
57.28%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.28£6.86
$19.92฿655
-53.41%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.16£6.04
$3.43฿113
137.90%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.28£10.56
$11.33฿372
26.04%
Apples(1kg)
$1.58£1.17
$2.95฿96.9
-46.44%
Banana(1kg)
$1.19£0.88
$1.72฿56.6
-30.81%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.98£2.94
$2.32฿76.4
71.55%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.12£3.05
$2.08฿68.4
98.08%
Potato(1kg)
$2.06£1.52
$1.47฿48.33
40.14%
Onion(1kg)
$1.09£0.81
$1.36฿44.64
-19.85%
Lettuce(1 head)
$2.09£1.55
$1.10฿36.12
90.00%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.53£1.13
$0.57฿18.89
168.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$24.35£18.01
$4.27฿140
470.26%
Wine(Bottle)
$11.99£8.87
$18.42฿605
-34.91%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$3.76£2.78
$1.87฿61.5
101.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92£2.90
$2.92฿96.0
34.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.99£2.95
$2.22฿72.9
79.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$86.5£64.0
$22.90฿753
277.90%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$7.12£5.27
$3.03฿99.6
134.98%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.66£1.23
$1.07฿35.31
55.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$21.69£16.05
$3.93฿129
451.91%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.91£1.41
$1.49฿49.04
28.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.7K£27.9K
$27.1K฿891.7K
38.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K£30.4K
$27.5K฿902.3K
49.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$388£287
$103฿3,379
277.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.58£12.27
$10.99฿361
50.86%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$36.06£26.68
$17.51฿576
105.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$94.2£69.7
$53.5฿1,760
75.98%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.40£15.09
$11.20฿368
82.14%
Cinema Ticket
$10.00£7.40
$7.48฿246
33.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,197£885
$557฿18.3K
114.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,491£4,062
$11.9K฿389.6K
-53.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.4£49.85
$64.1฿2,106
5.18%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.72£33.82
$29.07฿956
57.28%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$84.4£62.4
$96.0฿3,154
-12.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.1£65.9
$90.3฿2,970
-1.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,235£913
$730฿24.0K
69.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,098£812
$500฿16.4K
119.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,014£1,490
$2,090฿68.7K
-3.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,508£1,116
$1,209฿39.7K
24.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
-
$3,596฿118.2K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,891£3,618
$2,512฿82.6K
94.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Salisbury
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$3,796£2,808
$503฿16.5K
654.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.59
5.57
0.36%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Salisbury: August 31, 2026
Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Salisbury and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Salisbury pays 654% 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: $93.0 in Salisbury vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $273 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
Salisbury vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Salisbury?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Salisbury or Phuket?
Average pay runs 654% higher in Salisbury, 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: $1,235 in Salisbury versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,197 in Salisbury versus $557 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 in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Salisbury. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Salisbury or in Phuket?
At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,572 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 105% less than in Salisbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.