😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,278 in Tenterden versus $1,265 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,430 in Tenterden versus $2,297 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Tenterden versus $3,329 in Phuket.
😐Living in Tenterden is roughly 80% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Tenterden is 70% above, Phuket is 6% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tenterden
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.65£15.38
$4.70฿153
339.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.1£61.2
$45.37฿1,482
80.91%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.09£7.52
$8.43฿275
19.69%
Cappuccino
$4.72£3.52
$2.93฿95.6
61.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28£1.70
$0.69฿22.40
230.43%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67£1.24
$0.37฿11.99
351.35%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$6.27£4.67
$2.41฿78.6
160.17%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.15£4.58
$3.72฿122
65.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tenterden
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.63£1.21
$2.23฿72.9
-26.91%
White Bread(500g)
$1.58£1.18
$1.83฿59.8
-13.66%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.19£1.63
$2.17฿70.8
0.92%
Eggs
$3.98£2.96
$2.21฿72.3
80.09%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.98£7.44
$19.74฿645
-49.44%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.08£6.77
$3.63฿119
150.14%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.02£10.44
$13.53฿442
3.62%
Apples(1kg)
$3.16£2.36
$3.28฿107
-3.66%
Banana(1kg)
$1.62£1.21
$1.61฿52.6
0.62%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.82£2.10
$2.41฿78.6
17.01%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.42£2.55
$2.08฿68.1
64.42%
Potato(1kg)
$1.64£1.22
$1.53฿49.93
7.19%
Onion(1kg)
$1.49£1.11
$1.48฿48.36
0.68%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.08£0.80
$0.99฿32.29
9.09%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.52£1.13
$0.51฿16.67
198.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$19.32£14.40
$4.41฿144
338.10%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.95£7.41
$19.38฿633
-48.66%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67£1.99
$1.78฿58.1
50.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23£2.41
$2.71฿88.6
19.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Tenterden
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$3.27£2.44
$1.37฿44.79
138.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$89.6£66.8
$11.39฿372
686.92%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.45£4.06
$3.02฿98.6
80.46%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.52£1.13
$0.99฿32.48
53.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$23.44£17.46
$14.10฿461
66.24%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.90£1.42
$1.36฿44.51
39.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.7K£28.8K
$28.2K฿921.1K
37.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K£30.5K
$32.9K฿1.1M
24.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tenterden
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$301£224
$122฿3,975
147.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.81£12.53
$13.57฿443
23.88%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.38£32.32
$18.31฿598
136.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tenterden
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$46.38£34.55
$60.2฿1,967
-22.98%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.14฿560
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.79£10.28
$8.69฿284
58.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tenterden
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$1,581£1,178
$693฿22.6K
128.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.0K£13.4K
$15.7K฿512.3K
14.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tenterden
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.0£61.8
$59.5฿1,944
39.38%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.03£32.06
$34.77฿1,136
23.76%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$92.2£68.7
$115฿3,743
-19.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.6£73.5
$83.3฿2,720
18.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tenterden
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,234£919
$613฿20.0K
101.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,015£757
$437฿14.3K
132.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,047£1,525
$2,094฿68.4K
-2.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,701£1,268
$1,509฿49.3K
12.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,623£3,444
$3,749฿122.5K
23.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
-
$2,616฿85.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tenterden
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$508฿16.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.63
5.33
5.63%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Tenterden: May 31, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,234 in Tenterden and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $82.0 in Tenterden vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $293 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
Tenterden vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Tenterden?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,417 in Tenterden and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Tenterden and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,234 in Tenterden 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 $1,581 in Tenterden 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 Tenterden and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Tenterden. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Tenterden or Phuket?
At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,278 in Tenterden, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tenterden. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Tenterden or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tenterden, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Tenterden or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Tenterden 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 80% less than in Tenterden. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.