Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Thames and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,866 in Thames versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,899 in Thames versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Thames versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Thames is roughly 48% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thames is 39% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.94 NZ$25.23

$4.70 ฿153

217.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 NZ$130

$45.37 ฿1,482

69.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 NZ$15.88

$8.43 ฿275

11.51%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.70

$2.93 ฿95.6

15.36%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.86

$0.69 ฿22.40

230.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 NZ$3.73

$0.37 ฿11.99

497.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.30 NZ$12.33

$2.41 ฿78.6

202.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 NZ$12.11

$3.72 ฿122

92.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$2.94

$2.23 ฿72.9

-21.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$1.83 ฿59.8

14.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.42

$2.17 ฿70.8

-6.45%

Eggs

$6.82 NZ$11.51

$2.21 ฿72.3

208.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 NZ$15.00

$19.74 ฿645

-54.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$16.35

$3.63 ฿119

166.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.18 NZ$22.25

$13.53 ฿442

-2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 NZ$4.95

$3.28 ฿107

-10.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.81

$1.61 ฿52.6

40.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 NZ$5.63

$2.41 ฿78.6

38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 NZ$6.72

$2.08 ฿68.1

91.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.50

$1.53 ฿49.93

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 NZ$2.78

$1.48 ฿48.36

11.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 NZ$3.20

$0.99 ฿32.29

90.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.15

$0.51 ฿16.67

150.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.49 NZ$43.03

$4.41 ฿144

478.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.01 NZ$16.91

$19.38 ฿633

-48.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 NZ$4.99

$1.78 ฿58.1

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NZ$6.52

$2.71 ฿88.6

42.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.59

$1.37 ฿44.79

55.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NZ$108

$11.39 ฿372

463.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 NZ$3.62

$3.02 ฿98.6

-28.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.25

$0.99 ฿32.48

93.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.69 NZ$58.6

$14.10 ฿461

146.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 NZ$2.78

$1.36 ฿44.51

21.32%

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

$28.4K NZ$48.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

0.72%

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

$22.3K NZ$37.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-32.33%

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

$141 NZ$239

$122 ฿3,975

16.08%

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

$30.14 NZ$50.9

$13.57 ฿443

122.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.45 NZ$81.8

$18.31 ฿598

164.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.47 NZ$61.6

$60.2 ฿1,967

-39.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.89 NZ$20.08

$17.14 ฿560

-30.63%

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 NZ$25.63

$8.69 ฿284

74.68%

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

$900 NZ$1,519

$693 ฿22.6K

29.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$22.8K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-13.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$117

$59.5 ฿1,944

16.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.36 NZ$83.3

$34.77 ฿1,136

41.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 NZ$163

$115 ฿3,743

-15.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$212

$83.3 ฿2,720

50.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 NZ$1,653

$613 ฿20.0K

59.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 NZ$1,305

$437 ฿14.3K

76.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,545 NZ$2,608

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-26.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 NZ$2,434

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-4.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,612 NZ$7,786

$3,749 ฿122.5K

23.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,448 NZ$5,821

$2,616 ฿85.4K

31.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.33

19.51%

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

Last update for Thames: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Thames and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Thames vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 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

Thames vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,799 in Thames 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Thames versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $900 in Thames versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Thames. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,866 in Thames, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Thames. 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 Thames, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Thames 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 48% less than in Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.