Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankeny, IA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,340 in Ankeny, IA, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Ankeny, IA
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Ankeny, IA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,340

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankeny, IA and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ankeny, IA and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,340 in Ankeny, IA versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Ankeny, IA $2,340
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,308 in Ankeny, IA versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Ankeny, IA $3,308
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,275 in Ankeny, IA versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Ankeny, IA $4,275
Phuket $3,154

Living in Ankeny, IA is roughly 83% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ankeny, IA is 72% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$4.47 ฿151

348.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$32.41 ฿1,094

145.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$8.81 ฿297

35.53%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$2.83 ฿95.5

97.88%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$0.87 ฿29.43

249.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.49 ฿16.67

248.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.56 ฿86.4

97.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 $5.73

$3.68 ฿124

55.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.66 ฿56.0

-46.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.46 ฿49.35

105.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.50 ฿50.6

117.33%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$2.09 ฿70.5

89.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.84 $9.84

$19.07 ฿644

-48.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 $8.29

$3.30 ฿111

151.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.78 $14.78

$10.91 ฿368

35.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.93 ฿99.0

86.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.69 ฿57.1

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.25 ฿75.8

118.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.08 ฿70.1

75.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.51 ฿51.0

43.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.38 ฿46.56

140.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.07 ฿35.99

78.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$0.52 ฿17.52

388.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.83 $8.83

$4.20 ฿142

110.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$18.79 ฿634

-20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.82 ฿61.5

-4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.84 ฿95.9

-12.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.02 ฿102

-34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.02 ฿34.36

23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 $20.20

$3.69 ฿125

447.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.47 ฿49.81

-31.97%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-1.98%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-4.19%

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

$160 $160

$96.4 ฿3,254

66.54%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$11.26 ฿380

369.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$16.85 ฿569

292.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 $74.6

$67.2 ฿2,270

10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$7.50 ฿253

30.93%

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

$1,095 $1,095

$476 ฿16.1K

129.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

5.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.07 $47.07

$62.4 ฿2,106

-24.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.51 $34.51

$28.41 ฿959

21.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$94.3 ฿3,184

-6.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$85.8 ฿2,898

37.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,107 $1,107

$716 ฿24.2K

54.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$491 ฿16.6K

135.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 $1,968

$1,927 ฿65.1K

2.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$1,431 ฿48.3K

11.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,485 $5,485

$502 ฿17.0K

992.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.57

14.36%

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

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ankeny, IA

$1.2K 49.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 57.6% $666

Groceries & Markets

Ankeny, IA

$352 15.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 24.4% $86

Eating Out

Ankeny, IA

$319 13.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 61.9% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankeny, IA

$280 12%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 55.5% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 5.9% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Ankeny, IA

$94 4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 12.7% $12

Getting Around

Ankeny, IA

$8.3 * 0.4%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 752% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,107 in Ankeny, IA and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Ankeny, IA vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

05:06 5:06 AM

12 h ahead of Ankeny, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,887

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ankeny, IA Phuket 14,360 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankeny, IA
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,340 in Ankeny, IA and $1,278 in Phuket, so Phuket is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Ankeny, IA is about 11 times higher, 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: $1,107 in Ankeny, IA versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Ankeny, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,340 per month in Ankeny, IA versus $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,340 in Ankeny, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ankeny, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ankeny, IA and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Ankeny, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.