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: $2,093 in Thames versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,161 in Thames versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,228 in Thames versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Thames is roughly 67% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Thames is 52% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 NZ$25.47

$4.56 ฿151

226.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.9 NZ$123

$32.62 ฿1,082

120.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 NZ$17.33

$8.90 ฿295

13.93%

Cappuccino

$3.54 NZ$6.06

$2.80 ฿93.0

26.43%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.65

$0.88 ฿29.19

142.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 NZ$3.17

$0.49 ฿16.23

279.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.29 NZ$12.45

$2.39 ฿79.2

205.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 NZ$12.21

$3.71 ฿123

92.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.28

$1.79 ฿59.3

7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 NZ$4.06

$1.44 ฿47.81

65.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.34

$1.58 ฿52.6

24.05%

Eggs

$6.55 NZ$11.20

$2.13 ฿70.5

207.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 NZ$15.00

$19.92 ฿661

-55.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 NZ$17.13

$3.43 ฿114

192.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 NZ$29.70

$11.33 ฿376

53.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 NZ$5.02

$2.95 ฿97.8

-0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 NZ$3.77

$1.72 ฿57.1

28.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.34

$2.32 ฿77.1

34.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 NZ$9.81

$2.08 ฿69.0

175.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 NZ$4.00

$1.47 ฿48.77

59.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.05

$1.36 ฿45.05

30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 NZ$3.43

$1.10 ฿36.45

82.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.05

$0.57 ฿19.06

110.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.95 NZ$49.46

$4.27 ฿142

577.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.77 NZ$18.41

$18.42 ฿611

-41.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 NZ$5.19

$1.87 ฿62.1

62.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 NZ$6.21

$2.92 ฿96.9

24.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 NZ$3.05

$2.22 ฿73.6

-19.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 NZ$145

$22.90 ฿759

269.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 NZ$4.06

$3.03 ฿101

-21.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NZ$3.55

$1.07 ฿35.63

94.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.66 NZ$57.5

$3.93 ฿130

756.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 NZ$3.40

$1.49 ฿49.49

33.56%

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

$26.6K NZ$45.5K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-1.84%

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

$23.8K NZ$40.6K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

-13.45%

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

$192 NZ$328

$103 ฿3,410

86.46%

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

$27.79 NZ$47.49

$10.99 ฿365

152.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 NZ$91.5

$17.51 ฿581

205.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 NZ$66.6

$53.5 ฿1,776

-27.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$14.25 NZ$24.35

$7.48 ฿248

90.51%

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

$1,192 NZ$2,038

$557 ฿18.5K

114.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.1K NZ$36.0K

$11.9K ฿393.2K

77.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 NZ$139

$64.1 ฿2,125

27.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 NZ$74.8

$29.07 ฿964

50.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 NZ$157

$96.0 ฿3,183

-4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 NZ$204

$90.3 ฿2,997

32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 NZ$1,725

$730 ฿24.2K

38.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$954 NZ$1,630

$500 ฿16.6K

90.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,546 NZ$2,641

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-26.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 NZ$2,612

$1,209 ฿40.1K

26.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,633 NZ$9,625

$3,596 ฿119.3K

56.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,440 NZ$5,878

$2,512 ฿83.3K

36.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.57

-3.23%

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

Last update for Thames: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,010 in Thames and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $72.0 in Thames vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 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

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 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,139 in Thames and $1,880 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: $1,010 in Thames versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,192 in Thames versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Thames. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,093 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 67% less than in Thames. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.