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: $2,740 in Brentwood, CA versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,119 in Brentwood, CA versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,498 in Brentwood, CA versus $3,291 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Brentwood, CA is 105% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.64 $29.64

$4.53 ฿153

554.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$46.36 ฿1,565

134.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.97 $13.97

$8.65 ฿292

61.50%

Cappuccino

$6.19 $6.19

$3.09 ฿104

100.32%

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

$3.74 $3.74

$0.68 ฿22.89

450.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$0.37 ฿12.44

813.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 $9.08

$2.42 ฿81.6

275.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$3.81 ฿129

141.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.18 ฿73.5

-39.45%

White Bread (500g)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.82 ฿61.3

158.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.18 ฿73.5

44.95%

Eggs

$5.42 $5.42

$2.24 ฿75.4

141.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 $10.98

$19.93 ฿673

-44.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$3.64 ฿123

196.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.91 $12.91

$13.56 ฿458

-4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.29 ฿111

38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.69 ฿56.9

28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.33 ฿78.8

90.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.03 ฿68.4

142.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.60 ฿54.0

82.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.49 ฿50.5

139.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.01 ฿34.17

164.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$0.48 ฿16.09

452.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.58 $8.58

$4.45 ฿150

92.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 $12.87

$18.63 ฿629

-30.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.79 ฿60.3

16.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.80 ฿94.4

-17.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.42 ฿47.90

40.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.09 ฿104

46.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.04 ฿35.19

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.96 $29.96

$13.63 ฿460

119.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.31 ฿44.23

-7.63%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$27.3K ฿920.7K

9.47%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-18.17%

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

$216 $216

$123 ฿4,157

75.58%

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

$38.72 $38.72

$13.81 ฿466

180.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 $62.4

$18.52 ฿625

236.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.59 $42.59

$60.4 ฿2,037

-29.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿567

Cinema Ticket

$17.78 $17.78

$8.89 ฿300

100.00%

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

$1,155 $1,155

$687 ฿23.2K

68.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$15.6K ฿524.8K

51.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.97 $44.97

$57.6 ฿1,945

-21.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.83 $39.83

$34.66 ฿1,170

14.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 $77.3

$115 ฿3,879

-32.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 $78.8

$84.9 ฿2,865

-7.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$618 ฿20.8K

159.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 $1,350

$443 ฿15.0K

204.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,803 $3,803

$2,047 ฿69.1K

85.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 $2,187

$1,506 ฿50.8K

45.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,442 $2,442

$3,568 ฿120.4K

-31.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 $2,066

$2,511 ฿84.7K

-17.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿17.0K

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,602 in Brentwood, CA and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $109 in Brentwood, CA vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 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

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

Brentwood, CA and Phuket differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($2,740 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,110 in Brentwood, CA and $1,891 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: $1,602 in Brentwood, CA versus $618 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 $2,740 per month in Brentwood, CA versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,740 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 117% less than in Brentwood, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.