Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, TX and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,439 in Arlington, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
Learn more

Arlington, TX Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,439

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,439 in Arlington, TX versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Arlington, TX $2,439
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,647 in Arlington, TX versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Arlington, TX $3,647
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,855 in Arlington, TX versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Arlington, TX $4,855
Phuket $2,867

Living in Arlington, TX is roughly 102% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arlington, TX is 81% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$4.58 ฿153

345.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$32.48 ฿1,086

70.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$8.55 ฿286

18.25%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$2.72 ฿91.0

78.68%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$0.94 ฿31.25

172.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.49 ฿16.39

367.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.59 ฿86.6

107.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 $6.68

$3.83 ฿128

74.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.74 ฿58.1

-55.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.43 ฿47.82

154.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.53 ฿51.0

243.79%

Eggs

$2.67 $2.67

$2.17 ฿72.7

23.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 $10.60

$19.15 ฿640

-44.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$3.30 ฿110

296.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 $18.02

$11.14 ฿372

61.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.95 ฿98.5

50.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.68 ฿56.1

58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.30 ฿76.8

122.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.13 ฿71.3

88.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.53 ฿51.1

65.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.36 ฿45.55

119.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.12 ฿37.44

69.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.55 ฿18.24

274.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$4.26 ฿142

123.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 $12.03

$18.19 ฿608

-33.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.74 ฿58.2

15.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.79 ฿93.3

20.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.09 $6.09

$2.22 ฿74.1

174.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$22.06 ฿737

83.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.91 ฿97.3

0.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.01 ฿33.79

68.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.81 $23.81

$3.83 ฿128

521.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.49 ฿49.85

-36.91%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

34.17%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-3.71%

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

$211 $211

$99.4 ฿3,321

112.29%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$11.28 ฿377

488.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$17.36 ฿580

269.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 $40.87

$52.3 ฿1,747

-21.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$7.57 ฿253

94.72%

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

$1,332 $1,332

$558 ฿18.7K

138.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K $28.4K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

146.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.9 ฿2,102

-2.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$28.58 ฿955

78.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$96.1 ฿3,213

-11.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$88.1 ฿2,943

15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$729 ฿24.4K

110.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$460 ฿15.4K

141.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$2,096 ฿70.0K

20.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 $2,031

$1,222 ฿40.8K

66.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 $2,173

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-37.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 $2,217

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-10.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,699 $3,699

$493 ฿16.5K

650.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for Arlington, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 45.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 58.6% $652

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, TX

$393 16.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 31.9% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, TX

$341 14%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 62.5% $213

Eating Out

Arlington, TX

$311 12.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 61% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, TX

$135 5.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 7.8% $10

Getting Around

Arlington, TX

$76 3.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 49% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, TX

$70 2.9%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 4.2% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Arlington, TX and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, TX pays 650% 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: $55.0 in Arlington, TX vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:16 12:16 PM

00:16 12:16 AM

12 h ahead of Arlington, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arlington, TX Phuket 15,210 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, TX
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

Arlington, TX vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Arlington, TX. 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 650% higher in Arlington, TX, 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: $1,536 in Arlington, TX versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,439 per month in Arlington, TX versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 84% less than in Arlington, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Arlington, TX. 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 $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Arlington, TX 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 102% less than in Arlington, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.