Cost of Living Comparison Between Caldwell, TX and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Caldwell, TX and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,565 in Caldwell, TX versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,762 in Caldwell, TX versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,959 in Caldwell, TX versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Caldwell, TX is roughly 102% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Caldwell, TX is 91% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.85 $18.85

$4.66 ฿150

304.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 $75.0

$46.44 ฿1,496

61.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$8.68 ฿280

24.77%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$2.95 ฿95.0

73.22%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$0.70 ฿22.52

260.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.39 ฿12.70

407.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.53 ฿81.6

131.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 $6.84

$3.78 ฿122

80.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.22 ฿71.5

-53.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.80 ฿57.8

94.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.19 ฿70.4

96.35%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$2.31 ฿74.5

83.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$19.34 ฿623

-36.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$3.77 ฿121

210.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 $15.26

$13.22 ฿426

15.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.33 ฿107

45.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.65 ฿53.1

-1.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.29 ฿73.7

84.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$1.99 ฿64.1

141.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.53 ฿49.24

84.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.51 ฿48.77

86.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.03 ฿33.12

99.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.51 ฿16.57

311.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.35 $9.35

$4.41 ฿142

112.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.08 $14.08

$19.41 ฿625

-27.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.80 ฿58.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.68 ฿86.4

27.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.43 ฿46.11

41.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.04 ฿97.9

13.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.04 ฿33.37

56.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.64 $29.64

$13.68 ฿441

116.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.30 ฿41.85

-30.00%

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

4.22%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-22.30%

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

$186 $186

$123 ฿3,962

51.10%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$13.82 ฿445

285.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 $68.6

$18.86 ฿608

263.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.67 $43.67

$61.2 ฿1,970

-28.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.20 $10.20

$16.81 ฿541

-39.32%

Cinema Ticket

$13.30 $13.30

$8.87 ฿286

49.94%

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

$1,279 $1,279

$696 ฿22.4K

83.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

44.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 $50.7

$59.3 ฿1,910

-14.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.61 $40.61

$34.85 ฿1,123

16.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$113 ฿3,646

-23.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$85.1 ฿2,740

31.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$615 ฿19.8K

158.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$448 ฿14.4K

202.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,614 $2,614

$2,085 ฿67.2K

25.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,212 $2,212

$1,496 ฿48.2K

47.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 $2,659

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-28.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-9.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,364 $1,364

$534 ฿17.2K

155.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.33

22.14%

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

Last update for Caldwell, TX: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,593 in Caldwell, TX and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caldwell, TX pays 156% 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: $75 in Caldwell, TX vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 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

Caldwell, TX vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Caldwell, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Caldwell, TX pays 156% more on average, 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: $1,593 in Caldwell, TX versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,279 in Caldwell, TX versus $696 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 $46.00 versus $75.0 in Caldwell, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $2,565 in Caldwell, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Caldwell, TX. 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 $1,270 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Caldwell, TX 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 102% less than in Caldwell, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.