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: $3,585 in Brea, CA versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,052 in Brea, CA versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,519 in Brea, CA versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Brea, CA is roughly 186% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brea, CA is 161% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.19 $25.19

$4.56 ฿150

452.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$32.62 ฿1,072

211.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 $11.65

$8.90 ฿293

30.90%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$2.80 ฿92.2

105.36%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$0.88 ฿28.93

215.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.49 ฿16.08

310.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 $8.19

$2.39 ฿78.5

242.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.10 $9.10

$3.71 ฿122

145.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.79 ฿58.7

-32.96%

White Bread (500g)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.44 ฿47.38

214.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.58 ฿52.1

170.25%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$2.13 ฿69.9

138.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 $12.65

$19.92 ฿655

-36.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$3.43 ฿113

320.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 $14.12

$11.33 ฿372

24.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.95 ฿96.9

87.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.72 ฿56.6

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.32 ฿76.4

80.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$2.08 ฿68.4

210.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.47 ฿48.33

146.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.36 ฿44.64

161.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.10 ฿36.12

107.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.57 ฿18.89

291.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 $11.83

$4.27 ฿140

177.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$18.42 ฿605

-17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.87 ฿61.5

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.92 ฿96.0

8.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 $2.87

$3.03 ฿99.6

-5.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.07 ฿35.31

70.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.70 $35.70

$3.93 ฿129

808.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.49 ฿49.04

-2.01%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

36.64%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

-5.58%

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

$218 $218

$103 ฿3,379

112.31%

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

$70.2 $70.2

$10.99 ฿361

538.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$17.51 ฿576

292.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.36 $30.36

$53.5 ฿1,760

-43.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.31 $20.31

$11.20 ฿368

81.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 $14.12

$7.48 ฿246

88.77%

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

$1,426 $1,426

$557 ฿18.3K

156.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.7K $37.7K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

218.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 $73.2

$64.1 ฿2,106

14.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.31 $41.31

$29.07 ฿956

42.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$96.0 ฿3,154

-17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$90.3 ฿2,970

46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 $2,161

$730 ฿24.0K

195.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 $2,187

$500 ฿16.4K

337.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 $2,570

$2,090 ฿68.7K

22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,271 $3,271

$1,209 ฿39.7K

170.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,806 $5,806

$3,596 ฿118.2K

61.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,853 $5,853

$2,512 ฿82.6K

132.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,825 $9,825

$503 ฿16.5K

1851.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

5.57

9.16%

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

Last update for Brea, CA: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,161 in Brea, CA and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 1852% 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: $102 in Brea, CA vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $273 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 186% 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.

Average pay runs 1852% higher in Brea, CA, 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: $2,161 in Brea, CA versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,426 in Brea, CA versus $557 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 $33.00 versus $102 in Brea, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $3,585 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 $1,253 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 186% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.