Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,676 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,995 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,314 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Baltimore, MD is roughly 117% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baltimore, MD is 100% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$4.63 ฿151

339.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$46.84 ฿1,532

70.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 $9.95

$8.84 ฿289

12.56%

Cappuccino

$4.98 $4.98

$3.00 ฿98.0

66.00%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$0.74 ฿24.25

214.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.37 ฿11.95

472.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.44 ฿79.8

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 $7.63

$3.61 ฿118

111.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.26 ฿73.9

-53.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.84 ฿60.1

115.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.24 ฿73.4

102.23%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$2.32 ฿75.7

93.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 $13.23

$19.67 ฿643

-32.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$3.65 ฿119

171.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 $15.95

$13.10 ฿428

21.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$3.39 ฿111

105.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.64 ฿53.7

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.88 $6.88

$2.41 ฿79.0

185.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.03 ฿66.4

166.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.56 ฿50.9

76.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.50 ฿48.94

93.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.02 ฿33.50

146.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.49 ฿16.00

461.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.45 ฿145

176.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$18.88 ฿617

-19.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.78 ฿58.1

26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.75 ฿90.1

47.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.40 ฿45.81

81.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.7 $75.7

$11.48 ฿376

559.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.12 ฿102

-43.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.00 ฿32.67

34.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.67 $23.67

$14.09 ฿461

67.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.35 ฿44.19

-37.78%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-5.62%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-20.37%

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

$171 $171

$125 ฿4,087

36.43%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$13.57 ฿444

314.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.2 $79.2

$18.52 ฿606

327.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$61.5 ฿2,010

-5.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.88 $29.88

$16.84 ฿551

77.43%

Cinema Ticket

$15.22 $15.22

$9.19 ฿300

65.61%

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

$1,261 $1,261

$698 ฿22.8K

80.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.4K $33.4K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

113.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$57.8 ฿1,889

-12.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.1 $71.1

$35.24 ฿1,152

101.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$113 ฿3,699

-24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$86.4 ฿2,825

31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 $1,830

$616 ฿20.1K

197.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$446 ฿14.6K

198.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,374 $3,374

$2,048 ฿67.0K

64.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 $2,220

$1,492 ฿48.8K

48.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,498 $2,498

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-33.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 $2,293

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-13.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,130 $4,130

$524 ฿17.1K

688.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

5.33

23.64%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,830 in Baltimore, MD and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays 689% 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: $80.0 in Baltimore, MD vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Baltimore, MD vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Baltimore, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Baltimore, MD pays 689% more on average, 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: $1,830 in Baltimore, MD versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Baltimore, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $80.0 in Baltimore, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,676 in Baltimore, MD, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Baltimore, MD. 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 $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baltimore, MD 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 117% less than in Baltimore, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.