Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beaufort, SC and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,419 in Beaufort, SC, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Beaufort, SC
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Beaufort, SC Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Beaufort, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,419

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,419 in Beaufort, SC versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Beaufort, SC $2,419
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,526 in Beaufort, SC versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Beaufort, SC $3,526
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,634 in Beaufort, SC versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Beaufort, SC $4,634
Phuket $2,845

Living in Beaufort, SC is roughly 100% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Beaufort, SC is 78% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.65 $18.65

$4.40 ฿147

323.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$32.26 ฿1,078

205.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.38 $11.38

$8.76 ฿293

29.91%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$2.83 ฿94.5

86.93%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$0.90 ฿30.14

165.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.47 ฿15.56

329.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.55 ฿85.2

49.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.83 ฿128

5.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.73 ฿57.7

-41.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.47 ฿49.11

122.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.51 ฿50.6

146.36%

Eggs

$3.93 $3.93

$2.17 ฿72.7

81.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$19.70 ฿658

-55.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$3.34 ฿112

86.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$11.16 ฿373

-1.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.85 ฿95.1

62.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.70 ฿56.9

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.19 ฿73.3

71.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.05 ฿68.4

-2.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.45 ฿48.57

71.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.38 ฿46.16

55.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.07 ฿35.69

84.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$0.51 ฿16.91

388.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 $9.50

$4.26 ฿142

123.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$18.58 ฿621

-19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.78 ฿59.7

19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.85 ฿95.2

11.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.01 ฿101

-51.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.06 ฿35.34

5.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.01 $14.01

$3.86 ฿129

262.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.45 ฿48.45

-48.28%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-2.64%

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

$20.8K $20.8K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-22.63%

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

$93.9 $93.9

$96.4 ฿3,221

-2.54%

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

$64.7 $64.7

$11.04 ฿369

485.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$17.14 ฿573

302.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.16 $25.16

$52.2 ฿1,744

-51.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 $9.89

$7.81 ฿261

26.63%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$556 ฿18.6K

132.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K $12.1K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

4.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 $64.4

$64.2 ฿2,146

0.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.36 $47.36

$28.69 ฿959

65.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$95.4 ฿3,187

16.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$88.0 ฿2,940

75.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 $1,516

$737 ฿24.6K

105.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 $1,361

$462 ฿15.5K

194.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,827 $2,827

$2,095 ฿70.0K

34.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 $2,066

$1,201 ฿40.1K

72.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 $3,646

$3,488 ฿116.6K

4.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,592 $3,592

$2,523 ฿84.3K

42.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,035 $4,035

$501 ฿16.7K

705.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

5.57

20.11%

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

Last update for Beaufort, SC: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beaufort, SC

$1.4K 56.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 66% $898

Groceries & Markets

Beaufort, SC

$317 13.1%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 15.1% $48

Eating Out

Beaufort, SC

$292 12.1%

Phuket

$121 10% 58.4% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beaufort, SC

$228 9.4%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 45.3% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Beaufort, SC

$170 7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 26.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Beaufort, SC

$45 1.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 50.8% $23

Getting Around

Beaufort, SC

$7.1 * 0.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 456% $32

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 $1,516 in Beaufort, SC and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Beaufort, SC pays 706% 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: $99.0 in Beaufort, SC vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Beaufort, SC

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

16:32 4:32 PM

11 h ahead of Beaufort, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,029

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Between locations

Beaufort, SC Phuket 15,530 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Beaufort, SC
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

Beaufort, SC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 706% higher in Beaufort, SC, 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: $1,516 in Beaufort, SC versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Beaufort, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,419 per month in Beaufort, SC versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,419 in Beaufort, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Beaufort, SC. 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 Beaufort, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Beaufort, SC 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 100% less than in Beaufort, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.