Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelan, WA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,633 in Chelan, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Chelan, WA
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Chelan, WA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Chelan, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,633

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,633 per month in Chelan, WA vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Chelan, WA $2,633
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $3,911 per month in Chelan, WA vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Chelan, WA $3,911
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $5,189 per month in Chelan, WA vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Chelan, WA $5,189
Phuket $3,115

Chelan, WA costs about 104% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chelan, WA sits 95% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.61 $23.61

$4.39 ฿148

437.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$32.31 ฿1,090

207.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 $15.07

$8.70 ฿294

73.22%

Cappuccino

$6.80 $6.80

$2.72 ฿91.9

150.00%

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

$3.11 $3.11

$0.93 ฿31.39

234.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 $3.16

$0.50 ฿16.85

532.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$2.53 ฿85.4

223.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$3.63 ฿122

113.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.74 ฿58.7

-40.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.45 ฿48.95

129.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.50 ฿50.7

185.33%

Eggs

$5.04 $5.04

$2.17 ฿73.3

132.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$19.09 ฿644

-42.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$3.40 ฿115

92.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$10.90 ฿368

2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.94 ฿99.2

52.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.69 ฿57.1

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.19 ฿74.0

105.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.12 ฿71.7

111.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.46 ฿49.21

45.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.37 ฿46.15

56.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.08 ฿36.30

86.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.55 ฿18.41

329.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.76 $8.76

$4.43 ฿149

97.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.13 $10.13

$18.25 ฿616

-44.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.77 ฿59.8

133.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.88 ฿97.2

70.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.45 ฿48.84

34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 $58.9

$54.9 ฿1,852

7.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.51 ฿51.0

74.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.78 ฿26.18

119.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.25 $30.25

$3.84 ฿130

687.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.49 ฿50.2

-8.72%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$26.9K ฿907.0K

28.77%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.3K ฿888.9K

-2.28%

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

$253 $253

$97.8 ฿3,300

159.09%

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

$69.4 $69.4

$11.29 ฿381

515.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 $49.32

$17.19 ฿580

186.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.77 $41.77

$68.3 ฿2,305

-38.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.16 $10.16

$10.92 ฿368

-6.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 $11.97

$7.43 ฿251

61.10%

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

$2,822 $2,822

$530 ฿17.9K

431.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K $20.4K

$18.8K ฿633.7K

8.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.57 $39.57

$61.7 ฿2,081

-35.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.23 $25.23

$28.25 ฿953

-10.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 $59.5

$96.0 ฿3,239

-38.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 $98.6

$86.8 ฿2,929

13.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 $1,609

$721 ฿24.3K

123.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$509 ฿17.2K

149.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,542 $2,542

$1,950 ฿65.8K

30.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 $2,136

$1,397 ฿47.1K

52.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,649 $2,649

$4,192 ฿141.4K

-36.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,619 $2,619

$3,298 ฿111.3K

-20.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,929 $3,929

$492 ฿16.6K

699.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.72%

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

Last update for Chelan, WA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chelan, WA

$1.3K 48.1%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 59.9% $759

Eating Out

Chelan, WA

$397 15.1%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 69.9% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chelan, WA

$372 14.1%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 66.1% $246

Groceries & Markets

Chelan, WA

$352 13.4%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 24.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Chelan, WA

$100 3.8%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 22.4% $22

Getting Around

Chelan, WA

$78 3%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 15.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chelan, WA

$66 2.5%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 26.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,609 in Chelan, WA versus $721 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 in Chelan, WA are about 8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Chelan, WA versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chelan, WA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:52 3:52 PM

06:52 6:52 AM

15 h ahead of Chelan, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,200

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chelan, WA Phuket 12,760 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Chelan, WA
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

Chelan, WA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chelan, WA costs about 104% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,950 per month in Chelan, WA and $1,940 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,609 in Chelan, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Chelan, WA and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,633 in Chelan, WA and $1,294 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 51% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Chelan, WA at $2,633. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chelan, WA 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.

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