Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,515 in Chico, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Chico, CA
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Chico, CA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,515 in Chico, CA versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Chico, CA $2,515
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,036 in Chico, CA versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Chico, CA $4,036
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,556 in Chico, CA versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Chico, CA $5,556
Phuket $2,867

Living in Chico, CA is roughly 108% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chico, CA is 86% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.46 $25.46

$4.58 ฿153

455.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$32.48 ฿1,086

54.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$8.55 ฿286

40.94%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$2.72 ฿91.0

112.13%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$0.94 ฿31.25

179.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.49 ฿16.39

363.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$2.59 ฿86.6

183.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$3.83 ฿128

114.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.74 ฿58.1

-35.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.43 ฿47.82

109.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.53 ฿51.0

129.41%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$2.17 ฿72.7

123.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$19.15 ฿640

-41.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 $12.12

$3.30 ฿110

267.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.12 $23.12

$11.14 ฿372

107.54%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.95 ฿98.5

84.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.68 ฿56.1

39.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.30 ฿76.8

65.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.13 ฿71.3

164.79%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.53 ฿51.1

227.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.36 ฿45.55

127.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.12 ฿37.44

119.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.55 ฿18.24

365.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 $8.01

$4.26 ฿142

88.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$18.19 ฿608

-17.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.74 ฿58.2

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.79 ฿93.3

29.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.22 ฿74.1

32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.74 $34.74

$22.06 ฿737

57.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.91 ฿97.3

10.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.01 ฿33.79

138.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.65 $40.65

$3.83 ฿128

961.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.49 ฿49.85

-4.70%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

36.06%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-7.42%

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

$185 $185

$99.4 ฿3,321

85.94%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$11.28 ฿377

337.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$17.36 ฿580

290.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 $77.0

$52.3 ฿1,747

47.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 $13.12

$7.57 ฿253

73.32%

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

$1,837 $1,837

$558 ฿18.7K

229.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K $37.1K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

222.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$62.9 ฿2,102

-18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.08 $31.08

$28.58 ฿955

8.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 $70.3

$96.1 ฿3,213

-26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$88.1 ฿2,943

12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 $1,508

$729 ฿24.4K

106.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 $1,123

$460 ฿15.4K

144.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,933 $2,933

$2,096 ฿70.0K

39.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,590 $2,590

$1,222 ฿40.8K

111.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 $3,210

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-7.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 $2,919

$2,489 ฿83.2K

17.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,832 $3,832

$493 ฿16.5K

677.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

5.57

12.75%

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

Last update for Chico, CA: 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

Chico, CA

$1.1K 44.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 59% $663

Groceries & Markets

Chico, CA

$430 17.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 37.8% $163

Eating Out

Chico, CA

$382 15.2%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 68.2% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chico, CA

$302 12%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 57.6% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Chico, CA

$113 4.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 9.7% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chico, CA

$103 4.1%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 34.7% $36

Getting Around

Chico, CA

$62 2.5%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 37% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Chico, CA and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 677% 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: $50.0 in Chico, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $430 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

15:41 3:41 PM

14 h ahead of Chico, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,316

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

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Chico, CA Phuket 13,300 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Chico, CA
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

Chico, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 677% higher in Chico, CA, 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: $1,508 in Chico, CA versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $50.0 in Chico, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,515 per month in Chico, CA versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,515 in Chico, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Chico, CA. 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 Chico, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chico, CA 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 108% less than in Chico, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.