Cost of Living Comparison Between Torquay and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Torquay and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,115 in Torquay versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,074 in Torquay versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,033 in Torquay versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Torquay is roughly 69% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Torquay is 54% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.12 £15.62

$4.56 ฿150

363.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.4 £70.6

$32.62 ฿1,073

192.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 £7.09

$8.90 ฿293

7.64%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.41

$2.80 ฿92.3

64.64%

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

$2.81 £2.08

$0.88 ฿28.96

219.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 £1.56

$0.49 ฿16.09

330.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 £3.99

$2.39 ฿78.6

125.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 £3.97

$3.71 ฿122

44.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.24

$1.79 ฿58.8

-6.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.44 ฿47.43

41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.35 £1.74

$1.58 ฿52.1

48.73%

Eggs

$4.29 £3.17

$2.13 ฿70.0

101.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.54 £4.84

$19.92 ฿655

-67.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 £7.03

$3.43 ฿113

176.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.98 £9.61

$11.33 ฿373

14.56%

Apples (1kg)

$0.85 £0.63

$2.95 ฿97.0

-71.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 £1.30

$1.72 ฿56.6

2.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 £1.47

$2.32 ฿76.5

-14.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 £1.60

$2.08 ฿68.5

3.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 £1.64

$1.47 ฿48.37

51.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.36 ฿44.68

-0.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.10 ฿36.15

72.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$0.57 ฿18.90

238.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.37 £18.03

$4.27 ฿140

470.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 £7.31

$18.42 ฿606

-46.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 £2.16

$1.87 ฿61.6

56.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 £1.79

$2.92 ฿96.1

-17.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 £2.55

$2.22 ฿73.0

55.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.1 £49.63

$22.90 ฿753

192.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 £2.53

$3.03 ฿99.7

12.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 £1.83

$1.07 ฿35.34

130.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.46 £24.75

$3.93 ฿129

751.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.50

$1.49 ฿49.09

36.24%

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

$38.5K £28.5K

$27.1K ฿892.5K

42.01%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$27.5K ฿903.2K

49.95%

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

$373 £276

$103 ฿3,382

263.19%

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

$16.74 £12.39

$10.99 ฿362

52.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.48 £21.81

$17.51 ฿576

68.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.40 £25.45

$53.5 ฿1,761

-35.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.23 £6.09

$11.20 ฿368

-26.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 £5.65

$7.48 ฿246

2.01%

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

$2,297 £1,700

$557 ฿18.3K

312.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K £25.5K

$11.9K ฿390.0K

190.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.9 £71.0

$64.1 ฿2,108

49.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.53 £18.15

$29.07 ฿957

-15.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 £49.71

$96.0 ฿3,157

-29.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 £60.3

$90.3 ฿2,972

-9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 £815

$730 ฿24.0K

50.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$886 £655

$500 ฿16.4K

77.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 £1,202

$2,090 ฿68.8K

-22.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 £902

$1,209 ฿39.8K

0.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,245 £3,141

$3,596 ฿118.3K

18.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,824 £2,089

$2,512 ฿82.7K

12.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,462 £1,822

$503 ฿16.6K

389.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.57

-10.95%

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

Last update for Torquay: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,102 in Torquay and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Torquay pays 389% 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: $95.0 in Torquay vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 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

Torquay vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 389% higher in Torquay, 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: $1,102 in Torquay versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,297 in Torquay 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 3% higher in Torquay. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,115 in Torquay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Torquay. 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 Torquay, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Torquay 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 69% less than in Torquay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.