Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Auburn, AL and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,013 in Auburn, AL, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, AL
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Auburn, AL Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Auburn, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,013

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,013 in Auburn, AL versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Auburn, AL $2,013
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,941 in Auburn, AL versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Auburn, AL $2,941
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,870 in Auburn, AL versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Auburn, AL $3,870
Phuket $2,845

Living in Auburn, AL is roughly 67% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Auburn, AL is 49% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 $13.18

$4.40 ฿147

199.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.90 $47.90

$32.26 ฿1,078

48.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 $10.60

$8.76 ฿293

21.00%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$2.83 ฿94.5

80.57%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$0.90 ฿30.14

171.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.47 ฿15.56

265.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.55 ฿85.2

94.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.83 ฿128

59.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.73 ฿57.7

-36.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.47 ฿49.11

147.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$1.51 ฿50.6

266.23%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.17 ฿72.7

97.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 $11.81

$19.70 ฿658

-40.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$3.34 ฿112

85.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 $10.76

$11.16 ฿373

-3.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.85 ฿95.1

75.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.70 ฿56.9

-30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.19 ฿73.3

13.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.05 ฿68.4

39.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.45 ฿48.57

27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.38 ฿46.16

59.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.07 ฿35.69

86.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.51 ฿16.91

262.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.67 $6.67

$4.26 ฿142

56.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 $12.42

$18.58 ฿621

-33.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.78 ฿59.7

-5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.85 ฿95.2

79.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.45 ฿48.45

-46.21%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

31.79%

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

$207 $207

$96.4 ฿3,221

115.15%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$11.04 ฿369

394.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$17.14 ฿573

273.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.5 $64.5

$52.2 ฿1,744

23.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$7.81 ฿261

94.49%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.99 $49.99

$64.2 ฿2,146

-22.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.26 $48.26

$28.69 ฿959

68.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 $67.9

$95.4 ฿3,187

-28.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.5 $65.5

$88.0 ฿2,940

-25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 $1,288

$737 ฿24.6K

74.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 $910

$462 ฿15.5K

96.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 $2,090

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-0.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$1,201 ฿40.1K

32.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,054 $2,054

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-41.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,059 $2,059

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-18.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,356 $4,356

$501 ฿16.7K

769.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

5.57

14.72%

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

Last update for Auburn, AL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Auburn, AL

$910 45.2%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 49.2% $448

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Auburn, AL

$326 16.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 61.8% $201

Groceries & Markets

Auburn, AL

$325 16.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 17.4% $57

Eating Out

Auburn, AL

$252 12.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 51.9% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Auburn, AL

$104 5.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 19.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Auburn, AL

$95 4.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 28.6% $27

Getting Around

Auburn, AL

- * 0%

Phuket

$39 3.3%

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 $1,288 in Auburn, AL and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auburn, AL pays 770% 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: $48.00 in Auburn, AL vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Auburn, AL

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

19:30 7:30 PM

12 h ahead of Auburn, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,143

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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Auburn, AL Phuket 15,490 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Auburn, AL
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

Auburn, AL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Auburn, AL and Phuket differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,013 vs $1,208 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 770% higher in Auburn, AL, 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: $1,288 in Auburn, AL versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $48.00 in Auburn, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,013 per month in Auburn, AL versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Auburn, AL. 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, Auburn, AL 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 67% less than in Auburn, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.