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London vs Phuket cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated October 2026
🇬🇧 London
🇹🇭 Phuket
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Massage (88%↓), Haircut (87%↓), Entry ticket (86%↓)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
London is easier to travel (1.4 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling — London 2 vs Phuket 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking ›
Item by item
| Item | London | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | £ 17$23 | ฿ 130$3.94 | Phuket −83% |
| Street food1 item | £ 10$13.5 | ฿ 80$2.42 | Phuket −82% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | £ 38$51.4 | ฿ 450$13.6 | Phuket −73% |
| Coffeeone cup | £ 3.7$5 | ฿ 80$2.42 | Phuket −52% |
| Beerone bottle | £ 6.8$9.19 | ฿ 110$3.33 | Phuket −64% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | £ 13$17.6 | ฿ 250$7.58 | Phuket −57% |
| Bottled water | £ 1.3$1.76 | ฿ 12$0.36 | Phuket −79% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | £ 2$2.7 | ฿ 25$0.76 | Phuket −72% |
| Taxi5 km in town | £ 16$21.6 | ฿ 200$6.06 | Phuket −72% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | £ 9$12.2 | ฿ 100$3.03 | Phuket −75% |
| Transitone ride | £ 1.75$2.36 | ฿ 40$1.21 | Phuket −49% |
| Scooter rentalper day | £ 25$33.8 | ฿ 300$9.09 | Phuket −73% |
| Hotel night3-star | £ 180$243 | ฿ 2,000$60.6 | Phuket −75% |
| Studio rent (month) | £ 1,900$2,568 | ฿ 16,000$485 | Phuket −81% |
| Laundry | £ 3$4.05 | ฿ 50$1.52 | Phuket −63% |
| SIM card1 week data | £ 10$13.5 | ฿ 299$9.06 | Phuket −33% |
| Haircutcut | £ 25$33.8 | ฿ 150$4.55 | Phuket −87% |
| Massage1 hour | £ 65$87.8 | ฿ 350$10.6 | Phuket −88% |
| Half-day tourper person | £ 50$67.6 | ฿ 1,000$30.3 | Phuket −55% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | £ 32$43.2 | ฿ 200$6.06 | Phuket −86% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, London or Phuket?
Phuket is 76% cheaper than London. Daily budget $438 vs $109; a month $8,616 vs $2,006.
Which is easier to travel, London or Phuket?
London is easier: London 1.4/5 vs Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between London and Phuket?
With a short-term studio and living costs, London is about $8,616 and Phuket about $2,006 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.