Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlanta, GA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,947 in Atlanta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Atlanta, GA
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Atlanta, GA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Atlanta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,947

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,947 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $2,947
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $4,321 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $4,321
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $5,695 per month in Atlanta, GA vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Atlanta, GA $5,695
Phuket $3,154

Atlanta, GA costs about 131% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Atlanta, GA sits 117% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.94 $31.94

$4.47 ฿151

614.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 $113

$32.41 ฿1,093

248.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$8.81 ฿297

37.91%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$2.83 ฿95.4

99.29%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$0.87 ฿29.41

232.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.49 ฿16.65

342.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.56 ฿86.3

154.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.68 ฿124

116.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.66 ฿55.9

-44.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.46 ฿49.31

135.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.50 ฿50.5

149.33%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.09 ฿70.5

127.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$19.07 ฿643

-26.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.52 $14.52

$3.30 ฿111

340.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.69 $19.69

$10.91 ฿368

80.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.93 ฿98.9

98.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.69 ฿57.0

-14.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.25 ฿75.8

170.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.08 ฿70.0

162.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.51 ฿51.0

143.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.38 ฿46.52

86.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.07 ฿35.96

113.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.52 ฿17.51

428.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.12 $9.12

$4.20 ฿142

117.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$18.79 ฿634

-21.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.82 ฿61.5

108.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.84 ฿95.8

79.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.45 ฿48.98

68.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 $96.4

$56.7 ฿1,912

70.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.02 ฿102

15.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.02 ฿34.33

45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$3.69 ฿125

548.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.47 ฿49.76

-32.65%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

38.31%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-1.60%

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

$219 $219

$96.4 ฿3,251

127.21%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$11.26 ฿380

526.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.9 $84.9

$16.85 ฿568

403.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.53 $30.53

$67.2 ฿2,268

-54.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.12 $16.12

$10.73 ฿362

50.23%

Cinema Ticket

$16.90 $16.90

$7.50 ฿253

125.33%

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

$1,808 $1,808

$476 ฿16.1K

279.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$11.3K ฿380.0K

99.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$62.4 ฿2,104

-16.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.16 $44.16

$28.41 ฿958

55.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 $98.2

$94.3 ฿3,181

4.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$85.8 ฿2,895

26.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 $1,981

$716 ฿24.2K

176.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 $1,369

$491 ฿16.6K

178.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,186 $3,186

$1,927 ฿65.0K

65.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$1,431 ฿48.3K

44.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,592 $3,592

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-13.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,490 $2,490

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-18.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,391 $5,391

$502 ฿16.9K

973.38%

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 Atlanta, GA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Atlanta, GA

$1.4K 46.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 64.2% $878

Groceries & Markets

Atlanta, GA

$458 15.5%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 41.8% $191

Eating Out

Atlanta, GA

$428 14.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 71.6% $307

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atlanta, GA

$374 12.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 66.7% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Atlanta, GA

$136 4.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 10.7% $15

Getting Around

Atlanta, GA

$117 4%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 39.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Atlanta, GA

$64 2.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 27.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,981 in Atlanta, GA versus $716 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 in Atlanta, GA are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Atlanta, GA versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Atlanta, GA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:16 1:16 PM

01:16 1:16 AM

12 h ahead of Atlanta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

510,823

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Atlanta, GA Phuket 15,340 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Atlanta, GA
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

Atlanta, GA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Atlanta, GA is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,421 per month in Atlanta, GA and $1,917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,981 in Atlanta, GA.

Groceries cost about 72% more in Atlanta, GA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $113 in Atlanta, GA and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Atlanta, GA at $2,947. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Atlanta, GA 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.

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