Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, VT and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, VT and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Burlington, VT versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,877 in Burlington, VT versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,674 in Burlington, VT versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Burlington, VT is roughly 143% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burlington, VT is 123% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.98 $21.98

$4.66 ฿154

371.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$32.22 ฿1,065

143.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 $11.79

$8.68 ฿287

35.83%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$2.90 ฿95.8

77.59%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$0.84 ฿27.89

269.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.49 ฿16.16

377.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 $8.23

$2.48 ฿82.0

231.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.46 $8.46

$3.73 ฿123

126.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.89 ฿62.3

-30.16%

White Bread (500g)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.41 ฿46.54

207.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.62 ฿53.6

237.65%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.24 ฿74.1

98.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.19 $14.19

$19.84 ฿656

-28.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.00 $12.00

$3.48 ฿115

244.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 $13.20

$11.37 ฿376

16.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.90 ฿95.8

54.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.72 ฿57.0

5.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.27 ฿75.1

-1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$2.13 ฿70.4

217.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.47 ฿48.72

154.42%

Onion (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$1.42 ฿46.92

190.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.10 ฿36.25

160.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.60 ฿19.76

61.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.00 $12.00

$4.31 ฿142

178.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.44 $12.44

$18.60 ฿615

-33.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.80 ฿59.5

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.97 ฿98.0

-34.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.25 ฿74.2

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.7 $50.7

$23.49 ฿776

115.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$3.10 ฿102

-18.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.08 ฿35.56

65.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.70 $27.70

$3.87 ฿128

615.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.43 ฿47.16

-25.17%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

29.42%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-5.12%

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

$192 $192

$105 ฿3,462

83.63%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$11.39 ฿376

379.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$17.54 ฿580

251.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.3 $69.3

$54.3 ฿1,795

27.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.44 $28.44

$11.44 ฿378

148.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$7.78 ฿257

53.60%

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

$1,284 $1,284

$576 ฿19.0K

122.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

3.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$63.6 ฿2,103

-17.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.90 $29.90

$29.10 ฿961

2.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.8 $55.8

$96.2 ฿3,179

-42.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 $89.0

$90.0 ฿2,974

-1.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 $1,908

$733 ฿24.2K

160.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 $1,783

$501 ฿16.5K

256.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,419 $4,419

$2,126 ฿70.2K

107.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 $3,537

$1,252 ฿41.4K

182.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,847 $3,847

$3,534 ฿116.8K

8.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,399 $3,399

$2,622 ฿86.6K

29.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,488 $4,488

$508 ฿16.8K

784.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

5.57

12.75%

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

Last update for Burlington, VT: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,908 in Burlington, VT and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, VT pays 784% 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: $79.0 in Burlington, VT vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $275 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

Burlington, VT vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 143% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 784% higher in Burlington, VT, 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: $1,908 in Burlington, VT versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 116% less than in Burlington, VT. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,284 in Burlington, VT versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,080 in Burlington, VT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Burlington, VT. 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 Burlington, VT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Burlington, VT 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 143% less than in Burlington, VT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.