Cost of Living Comparison Between Brea, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Brea, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,655 in Brea, CA versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,277 in Brea, CA versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,900 in Brea, CA versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Brea, CA is roughly 110% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brea, CA is 98% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$4.70 ฿154

324.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 $85.9

$45.37 ฿1,489

89.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.43 ฿277

19.34%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$2.93 ฿96.1

69.62%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$0.69 ฿22.50

292.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.37 ฿12.04

448.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$2.41 ฿79.0

187.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$3.72 ฿122

89.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.23 ฿73.3

-49.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.83 ฿60.1

124.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.17 ฿71.1

111.98%

Eggs

$4.56 $4.56

$2.21 ฿72.6

106.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$19.74 ฿648

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$3.63 ฿119

221.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 $14.77

$13.53 ฿444

9.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.28 ฿108

5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.61 ฿52.9

14.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.41 ฿79.0

58.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.08 ฿68.4

166.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.53 ฿50.2

109.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.48 ฿48.58

97.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.99 ฿32.44

105.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.51 ฿16.74

311.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.01 $10.01

$4.41 ฿145

126.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 $15.22

$19.38 ฿636

-21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.78 ฿58.4

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.71 ฿89.0

71.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.37 ฿44.99

41.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.02 ฿99.1

29.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.70 $2.70

$0.99 ฿32.63

172.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.43 $32.43

$14.10 ฿463

130.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.36 ฿44.71

-5.15%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

-9.81%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.46%

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

$201 $201

$122 ฿3,993

65.26%

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

$46.86 $46.86

$13.57 ฿445

245.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 $59.3

$18.31 ฿601

223.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.64 $42.64

$60.2 ฿1,976

-29.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 $14.08

$8.69 ฿285

62.03%

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

$1,214 $1,214

$693 ฿22.8K

75.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.0K $40.0K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

155.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 $68.3

$59.5 ฿1,953

14.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.08 $34.08

$34.77 ฿1,141

-1.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 $83.9

$115 ฿3,760

-26.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$83.3 ฿2,733

51.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 $1,627

$613 ฿20.1K

165.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$437 ฿14.3K

204.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,815 $2,815

$2,094 ฿68.7K

34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,084 $3,084

$1,509 ฿49.5K

104.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,828 $5,828

$3,749 ฿123.0K

55.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,811 $5,811

$2,616 ฿85.8K

122.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,827 $9,827

$508 ฿16.7K

1834.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

5.33

23.45%

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

Last update for Brea, CA: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Brea, CA and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 1834% 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: $86.0 in Brea, CA vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $293 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

Brea, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 110% lower than in Brea, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Brea, CA pays 1834% 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: $1,627 in Brea, CA versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,214 in Brea, CA versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $86.0 in Brea, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,655 in Brea, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Brea, CA. 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 $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brea, CA 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 110% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.