Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charleston, SC and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Charleston, SC 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 Charleston, SC and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,314 per month in Charleston, SC vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Charleston, SC $3,314
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $4,834 per month in Charleston, SC vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Charleston, SC $4,834
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $6,355 per month in Charleston, SC vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Charleston, SC $6,355
Phuket $2,867

Charleston, SC costs about 174% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Charleston, SC sits 145% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.88 $19.88

$4.58 ฿153

334.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$131 $131

$32.48 ฿1,086

302.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$8.55 ฿286

39.30%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$2.72 ฿91.0

116.91%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$0.94 ฿31.25

209.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.49 ฿16.39

383.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$2.59 ฿86.6

157.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.83 ฿128

105.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.74 ฿58.1

-33.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.43 ฿47.82

188.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.53 ฿51.0

198.69%

Eggs

$5.25 $5.25

$2.17 ฿72.7

141.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.51 $22.51

$19.15 ฿640

17.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 $14.38

$3.30 ฿110

335.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.97 $20.97

$11.14 ฿372

88.24%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 $7.97

$2.95 ฿98.5

170.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.68 ฿56.1

10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.30 ฿76.8

116.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$2.13 ฿71.3

232.86%

Potato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$1.53 ฿51.1

232.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.36 ฿45.55

168.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.12 ฿37.44

154.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$0.55 ฿18.24

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.26 ฿142

130.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.33 $20.33

$18.19 ฿608

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.74 ฿58.2

57.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.79 ฿93.3

8.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.22 ฿74.1

-10.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$22.06 ฿737

161.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.91 ฿97.3

5.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.01 ฿33.79

21.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.67 $31.67

$3.83 ฿128

726.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.49 ฿49.85

-35.57%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

33.90%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-3.36%

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

$233 $233

$99.4 ฿3,321

134.58%

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

$78.3 $78.3

$11.28 ฿377

593.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.8 $85.8

$17.36 ฿580

394.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.77 $45.77

$52.3 ฿1,747

-12.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$10.85 ฿362

81.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$7.57 ฿253

86.79%

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

$1,274 $1,274

$558 ฿18.7K

128.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K $27.2K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

137.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 $78.9

$62.9 ฿2,102

25.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 $45.52

$28.58 ฿955

59.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$96.1 ฿3,213

18.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$88.1 ฿2,943

54.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$729 ฿24.4K

222.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 $1,728

$460 ฿15.4K

275.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,610 $3,610

$2,096 ฿70.0K

72.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 $2,630

$1,222 ฿40.8K

115.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,673 $5,673

$3,459 ฿115.6K

64.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,048 $3,048

$2,489 ฿83.2K

22.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,858 $4,858

$493 ฿16.5K

885.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for Charleston, SC: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 73.4% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 50% $267

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charleston, SC

$397 12%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 67.8% $269

Eating Out

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 63.9% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 26.4% $45

Getting Around

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 48.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 8.9% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,353 in Charleston, SC 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 885% higher in Charleston, SC, 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 $131 in Charleston, SC versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $535 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

19:35 7:35 PM

11 h ahead of Charleston, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,227

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 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

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Between locations

Charleston, SC Phuket 15,490 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Charleston, SC
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

Charleston, SC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC costs about 174% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,970 per month in Charleston, SC 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,274 per month in Charleston, SC and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% more in Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Charleston, SC at $3,314. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $3,314 in Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.