Cost of Living Comparison Between Solihull and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Solihull and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,581 in Solihull versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,809 in Solihull versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,037 in Solihull versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Solihull is roughly 106% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Solihull is 88% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.69 £19.73

$4.56 ฿150

485.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 £59.4

$32.62 ฿1,073

146.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 £8.09

$8.90 ฿293

23.03%

Cappuccino

$5.01 £3.70

$2.80 ฿92.2

78.93%

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

$2.51 £1.85

$0.88 ฿28.94

185.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 £1.58

$0.49 ฿16.08

336.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 £4.24

$2.39 ฿78.5

139.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 £4.09

$3.71 ฿122

49.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.79 ฿58.8

-13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.44 ฿47.40

29.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.58 ฿52.1

8.23%

Eggs

$4.22 £3.12

$2.13 ฿69.9

98.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 £7.03

$19.92 ฿655

-52.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 £6.34

$3.43 ฿113

149.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.06 £9.66

$11.33 ฿372

15.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 £2.52

$2.95 ฿97.0

15.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.72 ฿56.6

-8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$2.32 ฿76.5

-20.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 £2.67

$2.08 ฿68.4

73.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 £1.08

$1.47 ฿48.34

-0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.36 ฿44.65

19.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 £0.99

$1.10 ฿36.13

21.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.98

$0.57 ฿18.89

131.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.43 £18.06

$4.27 ฿140

472.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 £6.57

$18.42 ฿606

-51.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.87 ฿61.5

19.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 £1.46

$2.92 ฿96.1

-32.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.98

$2.22 ฿73.0

20.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 £3.17

$3.03 ฿99.6

41.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.09 £3.02

$1.07 ฿35.32

282.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.95 £24.36

$3.93 ฿129

738.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.49 ฿49.06

36.24%

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

$38.8K £28.7K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

42.95%

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

$40.9K £30.3K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

49.11%

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

$351 £259

$103 ฿3,380

240.97%

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

$17.86 £13.21

$10.99 ฿361

62.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.08 £35.54

$17.51 ฿576

174.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.06 £34.79

$53.5 ฿1,760

-12.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$13.78 £10.19

$7.48 ฿246

84.22%

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

$1,514 £1,119

$557 ฿18.3K

171.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K £18.1K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

106.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 £63.8

$64.1 ฿2,107

34.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 £40.53

$29.07 ฿956

88.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 £83.8

$96.0 ฿3,155

18.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 £81.6

$90.3 ฿2,970

22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 £794

$730 ฿24.0K

47.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 £912

$500 ฿16.4K

146.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 £1,619

$2,090 ฿68.7K

4.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 £1,571

$1,209 ฿39.8K

75.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,623 £4,157

$3,596 ฿118.2K

56.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,667 £2,710

$2,512 ฿82.6K

45.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,876 £3,604

$503 ฿16.6K

868.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

5.57

-6.46%

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

Last update for Solihull: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,075 in Solihull and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solihull pays 869% 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: $80.0 in Solihull vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 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

Solihull vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 869% higher in Solihull, 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: $1,075 in Solihull versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,514 in Solihull 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 Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $80.0 in Solihull. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,581 in Solihull, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Solihull. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Solihull, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Solihull 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Solihull. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.