Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Appleton, WI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,114 in Appleton, WI, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
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Appleton, WI Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,114

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Appleton, WI 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 Appleton, WI and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,114 per month in Appleton, WI vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Appleton, WI $2,114
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $3,257 per month in Appleton, WI vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Appleton, WI $3,257
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $4,400 per month in Appleton, WI vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Appleton, WI $4,400
Phuket $2,867

Appleton, WI costs about 75% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Appleton, WI sits 57% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.17 $18.17

$4.58 ฿153

296.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$32.48 ฿1,086

100.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 $11.10

$8.55 ฿286

29.82%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$2.72 ฿91.0

97.43%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$0.94 ฿31.25

175.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.49 ฿16.39

371.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.59 ฿86.6

77.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.83 ฿128

59.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.74 ฿58.1

-40.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.43 ฿47.82

113.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$1.53 ฿51.0

235.29%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$2.17 ฿72.7

108.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.18 $14.18

$19.15 ฿640

-25.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$3.30 ฿110

153.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 $15.52

$11.14 ฿372

39.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.95 ฿98.5

64.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.68 ฿56.1

-20.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.30 ฿76.8

36.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.13 ฿71.3

105.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.53 ฿51.1

39.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.36 ฿45.55

93.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.12 ฿37.44

97.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.55 ฿18.24

470.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 $10.94

$4.26 ฿142

156.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$18.19 ฿608

-18.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.74 ฿58.2

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.79 ฿93.3

19.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.91 ฿97.3

10.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.01 ฿33.79

37.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$3.83 ฿128

535.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.49 ฿49.85

-34.23%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

32.86%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-4.79%

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

$174 $174

$99.4 ฿3,321

75.31%

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

$44.20 $44.20

$11.28 ฿377

291.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$17.36 ฿580

254.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.46 $23.46

$52.3 ฿1,747

-55.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.62 $39.62

$10.85 ฿362

265.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$7.57 ฿253

92.21%

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

$1,508 $1,508

$558 ฿18.7K

170.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

173.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.23 $39.23

$62.9 ฿2,102

-37.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.89 $24.89

$28.58 ฿955

-12.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.0 $50.0

$96.1 ฿3,213

-47.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$88.1 ฿2,943

25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 $1,524

$729 ฿24.4K

108.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 $992

$460 ฿15.4K

115.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 $1,800

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 $1,897

$1,222 ฿40.8K

55.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,257 $2,257

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-34.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,278 $2,278

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-8.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,999 $3,999

$493 ฿16.5K

711.10%

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 Appleton, WI: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Appleton, WI

$992 46.9%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 53.6% $532

Groceries & Markets

Appleton, WI

$380 18%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 29.6% $113

Eating Out

Appleton, WI

$298 14.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 59.3% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Appleton, WI

$280 13.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 54.3% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Appleton, WI

$101 4.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 22.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 28.3% $15

Getting Around

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 282% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,524 in Appleton, WI versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 711% higher in Appleton, WI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Appleton, WI versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

04:28 4:28 AM

12 h ahead of Appleton, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,139

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Appleton, WI Phuket 14,180 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Appleton, WI
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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

Appleton, WI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Appleton, WI is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,170 per month in Appleton, WI and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Appleton, WI and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Appleton, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Appleton, WI at $2,114. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Appleton, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Appleton, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.