Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, MN and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,529 in Austin, MN, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Austin, MN
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Austin, MN Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Austin, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,529

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,529 per month in Austin, MN vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Austin, MN $2,529
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $3,726 per month in Austin, MN vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Austin, MN $3,726
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $4,923 per month in Austin, MN vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Austin, MN $4,923
Phuket $3,115

Austin, MN costs about 96% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Austin, MN sits 87% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$4.39 ฿148

352.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$32.31 ฿1,090

206.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 $12.06

$8.70 ฿294

38.62%

Cappuccino

$4.90 $4.90

$2.72 ฿91.9

80.15%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$0.93 ฿31.38

220.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.50 ฿16.85

306.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.53 ฿85.4

91.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$3.63 ฿122

56.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.74 ฿58.7

-52.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.45 ฿48.93

97.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.50 ฿50.7

30.67%

Eggs

$2.55 $2.55

$2.17 ฿73.3

17.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$19.09 ฿644

-49.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.40 ฿115

95.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.85 $18.85

$10.90 ฿368

72.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.94 ฿99.2

85.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.69 ฿57.1

-30.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.19 ฿74.0

68.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.12 ฿71.6

-20.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.46 ฿49.19

71.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.37 ฿46.14

62.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.08 ฿36.29

35.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.55 ฿18.40

270.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.11 $10.11

$4.43 ฿149

128.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$18.25 ฿616

-83.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.77 ฿59.8

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.88 ฿97.2

3.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.45 ฿48.82

26.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 $53.7

$54.9 ฿1,851

-2.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.51 ฿51.0

35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.78 ฿26.17

53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$3.84 ฿129

423.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.49 ฿50.2

-32.21%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.9K ฿906.7K

-1.67%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.3K ฿888.6K

-4.02%

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

$188 $188

$97.8 ฿3,299

91.82%

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

$52.1 $52.1

$11.29 ฿381

361.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.6 $75.6

$17.19 ฿580

339.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.21 $42.21

$68.3 ฿2,305

-38.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$10.15 $10.15

$7.43 ฿251

36.61%

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

$1,304 $1,304

$530 ฿17.9K

145.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K $14.9K

$18.8K ฿633.5K

-20.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 $76.8

$61.7 ฿2,080

24.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 $55.0

$28.25 ฿953

94.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$96.0 ฿3,238

7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$86.8 ฿2,928

88.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,456 $1,456

$721 ฿24.3K

101.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 $1,299

$509 ฿17.2K

155.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 $2,523

$1,950 ฿65.8K

29.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 $2,075

$1,397 ฿47.1K

48.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,441 $2,441

$4,192 ฿141.4K

-41.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,247 $2,247

$3,298 ฿111.3K

-31.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.57

17.95%

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

Last update for Austin, MN: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, MN

$1.3K 51.4%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 60.8% $791

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, MN

$315 12.5%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 59.9% $189

Eating Out

Austin, MN

$310 12.2%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 61.4% $190

Groceries & Markets

Austin, MN

$294 11.6%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 9.2% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, MN

$179 7.1%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 31.6% $57

Getting Around

Austin, MN

$69 2.7%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 4.3% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, MN

$63 2.5%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 33.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,456 in Austin, MN versus $721 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Austin, MN versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, MN

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

20:49 8:49 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Austin, MN Phuket 14,170 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, MN
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

Austin, MN vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, MN is pricier by about 96%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,794 per month in Austin, MN and $1,940 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 $721 there versus $1,456 in Austin, MN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,529 in Austin, MN and $1,294 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 49% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,304 per month in Austin, MN and $530 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Austin, MN at $2,529. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, MN 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.