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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Brentwood, CA versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,035 in Brentwood, CA versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,386 in Brentwood, CA versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Brentwood, CA is roughly 112% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brentwood, CA is 100% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.98 $29.98

$4.70 ฿154

537.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$45.37 ฿1,489

141.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.82 $13.82

$8.43 ฿277

63.94%

Cappuccino

$6.37 $6.37

$2.93 ฿96.1

117.41%

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

$3.66 $3.66

$0.69 ฿22.50

430.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$0.37 ฿12.04

818.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.18 $9.18

$2.41 ฿79.0

280.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.91 $8.91

$3.72 ฿122

139.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.23 ฿73.3

-41.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.60 $4.60

$1.83 ฿60.1

151.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.17 ฿71.1

44.70%

Eggs

$5.39 $5.39

$2.21 ฿72.6

143.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 $11.11

$19.74 ฿648

-43.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$3.63 ฿119

204.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 $12.86

$13.53 ฿444

-4.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.28 ฿108

37.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.61 ฿52.9

37.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.41 ฿79.0

83.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.08 ฿68.4

131.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.53 ฿50.2

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.48 ฿48.58

127.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$0.99 ฿32.44

178.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$0.51 ฿16.74

421.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.63 $8.63

$4.41 ฿145

95.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.07 $13.07

$19.38 ฿636

-32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.78 ฿58.4

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.71 ฿89.0

-11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.37 ฿44.99

49.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.02 ฿99.1

45.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.99 ฿32.63

91.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 $30.17

$14.10 ฿463

113.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.36 ฿44.71

-7.35%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

6.62%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.58%

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

$217 $217

$122 ฿3,993

78.24%

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

$39.15 $39.15

$13.57 ฿445

188.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$18.31 ฿601

250.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.73 $43.73

$60.2 ฿1,976

-27.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$18.14 $18.14

$8.69 ฿285

108.75%

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

$1,134 $1,134

$693 ฿22.8K

63.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

54.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.45 $44.45

$59.5 ฿1,953

-25.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 $39.82

$34.77 ฿1,141

14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 $77.0

$115 ฿3,760

-32.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 $80.8

$83.3 ฿2,733

-3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$613 ฿20.1K

162.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 $1,355

$437 ฿14.3K

210.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,885 $3,885

$2,094 ฿68.7K

85.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 $2,257

$1,509 ฿49.5K

49.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,752 $2,752

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-26.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,238 $2,238

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-14.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.33

25.14%

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

Last update for Brentwood, CA: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Brentwood, CA and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $110 in Brentwood, CA vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 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

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

Brentwood, CA and Phuket differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($2,684 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,026 in Brentwood, CA and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Brentwood, CA versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Brentwood, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,684 per month in Brentwood, CA versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,684 in Brentwood, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Brentwood, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brentwood, 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 112% less than in Brentwood, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.