Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cedar Rapids, IA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,058 in Cedar Rapids, IA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Cedar Rapids, IA
Learn more

Cedar Rapids, IA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Cedar Rapids, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,058

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cedar Rapids, IA and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cedar Rapids, IA and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,058 per month in Cedar Rapids, IA vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Cedar Rapids, IA $2,058
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $3,080 per month in Cedar Rapids, IA vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Cedar Rapids, IA $3,080
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $4,101 per month in Cedar Rapids, IA vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Cedar Rapids, IA $4,101
Phuket $2,867

Cedar Rapids, IA costs about 70% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cedar Rapids, IA sits 52% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$4.58 ฿153

230.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 $69.7

$32.48 ฿1,086

114.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 $10.84

$8.55 ฿286

26.78%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$2.72 ฿91.0

113.60%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$0.94 ฿31.25

196.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.49 ฿16.39

283.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.59 ฿86.6

78.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.83 ฿128

53.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.74 ฿58.1

-59.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.43 ฿47.82

72.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.53 ฿51.0

207.19%

Eggs

$2.52 $2.52

$2.17 ฿72.7

16.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.10 $14.10

$19.15 ฿640

-26.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$3.30 ฿110

231.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$11.14 ฿372

45.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.95 ฿98.5

67.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.68 ฿56.1

-34.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.30 ฿76.8

128.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.13 ฿71.3

115.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.53 ฿51.1

69.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.36 ฿45.55

63.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.12 ฿37.44

79.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.55 ฿18.24

305.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.01 $10.01

$4.26 ฿142

134.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 $10.82

$18.19 ฿608

-40.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.74 ฿58.2

25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.79 ฿93.3

16.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.22 ฿74.1

-22.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.20 $30.20

$22.06 ฿737

36.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.91 ฿97.3

19.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.01 ฿33.79

82.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.60 $45.60

$3.83 ฿128

1090.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.49 ฿49.85

-42.95%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

35.45%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-0.50%

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

$208 $208

$99.4 ฿3,321

108.87%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$11.28 ฿377

360.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$17.36 ฿580

304.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$52.3 ฿1,747

95.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.05 $19.05

$10.85 ฿362

75.58%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 $12.77

$7.57 ฿253

68.69%

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

$893 $893

$558 ฿18.7K

59.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K $12.8K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

11.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$62.9 ฿2,102

-0.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 $63.5

$28.58 ฿955

122.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$96.1 ฿3,213

32.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$88.1 ฿2,943

72.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$729 ฿24.4K

56.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 $724

$460 ฿15.4K

57.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-21.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 $1,194

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-2.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,582 $1,582

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-54.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,547 $1,547

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-37.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,682 $3,682

$493 ฿16.5K

646.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.57

19.03%

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

Last update for Cedar Rapids, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cedar Rapids, IA

$724 35.2%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 36.4% $264

Groceries & Markets

Cedar Rapids, IA

$367 17.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 27.2% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cedar Rapids, IA

$330 16%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 61.2% $202

Eating Out

Cedar Rapids, IA

$277 13.5%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 56.2% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Cedar Rapids, IA

$183 8.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 32.1% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Cedar Rapids, IA

$128 6.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 47.3% $61

Getting Around

Cedar Rapids, IA

$50 2.4%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 21.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,141 in Cedar Rapids, IA versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 647% higher in Cedar Rapids, IA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Cedar Rapids, IA versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cedar Rapids, IA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:23 12:23 PM

00:23 12:23 AM

12 h ahead of Cedar Rapids, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,710

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cedar Rapids, IA Phuket 14,380 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Cedar Rapids, IA
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cedar Rapids, IA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cedar Rapids, IA is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,087 per month in Cedar Rapids, IA and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Cedar Rapids, IA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Cedar Rapids, IA and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Cedar Rapids, IA at $2,058. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cedar Rapids, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cedar Rapids, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.