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: $3,079 in Burlington, VT versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,226 in Burlington, VT versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,373 in Burlington, VT versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Burlington, VT is roughly 144% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burlington, VT is 131% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$4.48 ฿150

360.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 $81.3

$45.59 ฿1,525

78.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.32 $11.32

$8.76 ฿293

29.22%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$2.97 ฿99.3

71.04%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$0.69 ฿22.96

268.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.39 ฿13.07

476.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 $7.13

$2.53 ฿84.7

181.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$3.75 ฿125

108.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$2.15 ฿71.8

-44.65%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.82 ฿60.7

130.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.18 ฿73.1

150.46%

Eggs

$4.52 $4.52

$2.25 ฿75.2

100.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 $13.75

$20.00 ฿669

-31.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.87 $10.87

$3.63 ฿121

199.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$13.56 ฿453

-0.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.24 ฿109

78.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.64 ฿54.7

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.33 ฿78.0

139.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$2.07 ฿69.3

228.02%

Potato (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$1.55 ฿51.8

198.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.46 ฿48.67

156.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$0.98 ฿32.94

192.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.48 ฿16.13

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$4.35 ฿146

180.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 $12.58

$18.57 ฿621

-32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.86 ฿62.1

-9.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.65 ฿88.8

9.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.42 ฿47.40

44.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.91 $49.91

$11.57 ฿387

331.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.17 ฿106

-18.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.03 ฿34.51

65.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 $28.25

$13.89 ฿465

103.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.34 ฿44.96

-35.07%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

8.17%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-24.06%

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

$190 $190

$123 ฿4,116

54.23%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$13.77 ฿461

316.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 $61.1

$18.33 ฿613

233.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.8 $75.8

$60.7 ฿2,030

24.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$17.16 ฿574

62.59%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$8.87 ฿297

34.84%

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

$1,267 $1,267

$688 ฿23.0K

84.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K $12.2K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

-22.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 $62.3

$59.3 ฿1,984

4.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.83 $29.83

$34.69 ฿1,160

-14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.1 $54.1

$115 ฿3,853

-53.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 $90.3

$83.8 ฿2,802

7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$621 ฿20.8K

187.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$446 ฿14.9K

308.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,972 $2,972

$2,034 ฿68.0K

46.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$1,496 ฿50.0K

58.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,875 $3,875

$3,455 ฿115.6K

12.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,355 $3,355

$2,531 ฿84.7K

32.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,627 $4,627

$494 ฿16.5K

837.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.33

20.64%

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

Last update for Burlington, VT: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,784 in Burlington, VT and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, VT pays 837% 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: $81.0 in Burlington, VT vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $291 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 144% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 837% 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: $1,784 in Burlington, VT versus $621 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 331% less than in Burlington, VT. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,267 in Burlington, VT versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $3,079 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 144% less than in Burlington, VT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.