Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,095 in Ames, IA versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,171 in Ames, IA versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,246 in Ames, IA versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 68% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ames, IA is 57% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 $17.67

$4.55 ฿153

288.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.18 $45.18

$46.18 ฿1,550

-2.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 $9.17

$8.84 ฿297

3.73%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$3.06 ฿103

72.88%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$0.73 ฿24.36

176.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.40 ฿13.37

347.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.43 ฿81.6

25.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 $7.01

$3.78 ฿127

85.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.26 ฿75.8

-54.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.81 ฿60.8

99.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.25 ฿75.7

35.56%

Eggs

$3.20 $3.20

$2.25 ฿75.4

42.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

$19.51 ฿655

-51.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.58 $11.58

$3.65 ฿122

217.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 $14.26

$13.05 ฿438

9.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.23 ฿109

53.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.62 ฿54.3

-28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.38 ฿80.0

137.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.03 ฿68.0

151.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.53 ฿51.5

159.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.50 ฿50.4

152.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.98 ฿32.85

106.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.52 ฿17.36

267.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.18 $9.18

$4.44 ฿149

106.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.12 $16.12

$18.32 ฿615

-12.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.86 ฿62.6

-8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.68 ฿90.0

70.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.41 ฿47.37

9.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.34 $48.34

$11.70 ฿393

313.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.11 ฿104

63.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.04 ฿35.00

36.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.06 $49.06

$14.11 ฿474

247.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.31 ฿44.02

-33.59%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-8.55%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-24.11%

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

$193 $193

$122 ฿4,110

57.54%

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

$48.88 $48.88

$13.59 ฿456

259.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 $72.8

$18.70 ฿628

289.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.1 $69.1

$60.5 ฿2,031

14.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.83 $19.83

$16.98 ฿570

16.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.02 $14.02

$9.07 ฿305

54.58%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$706 ฿23.7K

106.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

92.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.41 $39.41

$58.6 ฿1,965

-32.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.67 $42.67

$35.36 ฿1,187

20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 $84.2

$115 ฿3,876

-27.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$83.7 ฿2,811

37.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 $989

$626 ฿21.0K

58.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 $814

$445 ฿14.9K

82.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-6.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 $1,667

$1,492 ฿50.1K

11.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 $2,363

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-32.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,255 $2,255

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-12.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 $3,584

$500 ฿16.8K

617.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.02

5.33

12.95%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $989 in Ames, IA and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 617% 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: $45.00 in Ames, IA vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $381 vs $289, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ames, IA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 617% higher in Ames, IA, 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: $989 in Ames, IA versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 313% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Ames, IA versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,095 in Ames, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ames, IA 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 68% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.