Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, OH and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,669 in Athens, OH, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Athens, OH
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Athens, OH Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Athens, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,669

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,669 in Athens, OH versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Athens, OH $1,669
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,495 in Athens, OH versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Athens, OH $2,495
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,320 in Athens, OH versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Athens, OH $3,320
Phuket $2,867

Living in Athens, OH is roughly 38% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens, OH is 23% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 $14.74

$4.40 ฿147

235.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.20 $49.20

$32.26 ฿1,078

52.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$8.76 ฿293

16.21%

Cappuccino

$4.98 $4.98

$2.83 ฿94.5

75.97%

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

$2.25 $2.25

$0.90 ฿30.14

150.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.47 ฿15.56

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.55 ฿85.2

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$3.83 ฿128

83.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.73 ฿57.7

-60.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.47 ฿49.11

40.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.51 ฿50.6

99.34%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$2.17 ฿72.7

95.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$19.70 ฿658

-35.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$3.34 ฿112

158.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.20 $16.20

$11.16 ฿373

45.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.85 ฿95.1

26.32%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.70 ฿56.9

-43.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.19 ฿73.3

27.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.05 ฿68.4

44.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.45 ฿48.57

16.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.38 ฿46.16

57.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.07 ฿35.69

55.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.51 ฿16.91

276.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$4.26 ฿142

113.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$18.58 ฿621

-20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.78 ฿59.7

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.85 ฿95.2

8.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.26 ฿75.6

-54.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.01 ฿101

28.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.06 ฿35.34

19.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.15 $25.15

$3.86 ฿129

551.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.45 ฿48.45

-40.00%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

37.77%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-3.19%

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

$150 $150

$96.4 ฿3,221

55.32%

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

$29.86 $29.86

$11.04 ฿369

170.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 $48.41

$17.14 ฿573

182.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 $11.85

$7.81 ฿261

51.73%

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

$1,476 $1,476

$556 ฿18.6K

165.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K $19.5K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

68.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.08 $46.08

$64.2 ฿2,146

-28.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.56 $45.56

$28.69 ฿959

58.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 $65.4

$95.4 ฿3,187

-31.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$88.0 ฿2,940

22.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$737 ฿24.6K

78.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 $701

$462 ฿15.5K

51.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 $1,471

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-29.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 $1,216

$1,201 ฿40.1K

1.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 $1,644

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-52.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,650 $1,650

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-34.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,377 $3,377

$501 ฿16.7K

574.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.57

18.31%

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

Last update for Athens, OH: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens, OH

$701 42%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 34% $238

Groceries & Markets

Athens, OH

$322 19.3%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 16.5% $53

Eating Out

Athens, OH

$262 15.7%

Phuket

$121 10% 53.7% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, OH

$228 13.7%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 45.4% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, OH

$119 7.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 4.2% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, OH

$24 * 1.4%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 186% $44

Getting Around

Athens, OH

$14 * 0.9%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 176% $25

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 $1,313 in Athens, OH and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens, OH pays 585% 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: $49.00 in Athens, OH vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, OH

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

16:59 4:59 PM

11 h ahead of Athens, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Between locations

Athens, OH Phuket 14,760 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens, OH
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

Athens, OH vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 585% higher in Athens, OH, 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: $1,313 in Athens, OH versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Athens, OH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,669 per month in Athens, OH versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,669 in Athens, OH, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Athens, OH. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Athens, OH, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Athens, OH 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 38% less than in Athens, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.