Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbus, OH and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,503 in Columbus, OH, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, OH
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Columbus, OH Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Columbus, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,503

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,503 per month in Columbus, OH vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Columbus, OH $2,503
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $3,732 per month in Columbus, OH vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Columbus, OH $3,732
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $4,962 per month in Columbus, OH vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Columbus, OH $4,962
Phuket $2,867

Columbus, OH costs about 107% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Columbus, OH sits 85% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.60 $21.60

$4.58 ฿153

371.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 $78.0

$32.48 ฿1,086

140.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$8.55 ฿286

40.58%

Cappuccino

$5.28 $5.28

$2.72 ฿91.0

94.12%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$0.94 ฿31.25

174.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$0.49 ฿16.39

324.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.59 ฿86.6

137.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.83 ฿128

85.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.74 ฿58.1

-47.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.43 ฿47.82

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$1.53 ฿51.0

245.10%

Eggs

$3.75 $3.75

$2.17 ฿72.7

72.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 $13.88

$19.15 ฿640

-27.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$3.30 ฿110

350.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$11.14 ฿372

41.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$2.95 ฿98.5

115.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.68 ฿56.1

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.30 ฿76.8

163.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.13 ฿71.3

117.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.53 ฿51.1

91.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.36 ฿45.55

150.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.12 ฿37.44

102.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.55 ฿18.24

312.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$4.26 ฿142

134.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 $16.23

$18.19 ฿608

-10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.74 ฿58.2

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.79 ฿93.3

7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.22 ฿74.1

-7.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 $61.6

$22.06 ฿737

179.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.91 ฿97.3

2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.01 ฿33.79

24.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.64 $26.64

$3.83 ฿128

595.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.49 ฿49.85

-30.87%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

33.05%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-6.11%

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

$220 $220

$99.4 ฿3,321

120.91%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$11.28 ฿377

487.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.1 $68.1

$17.36 ฿580

292.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.99 $34.99

$52.3 ฿1,747

-33.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.37 $41.37

$10.85 ฿362

281.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 $13.17

$7.57 ฿253

73.98%

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

$1,600 $1,600

$558 ฿18.7K

186.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

203.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.12 $49.12

$62.9 ฿2,102

-21.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.04 $41.04

$28.58 ฿955

43.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 $80.0

$96.1 ฿3,213

-16.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$88.1 ฿2,943

21.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,563 $1,563

$729 ฿24.4K

114.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 $1,116

$460 ฿15.4K

142.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 $2,310

$2,096 ฿70.0K

10.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 $1,879

$1,222 ฿40.8K

53.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,474 $3,474

$3,459 ฿115.6K

0.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 $1,740

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-30.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 $3,733

$493 ฿16.5K

657.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.57

19.21%

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

Last update for Columbus, OH: 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

Columbus, OH

$1.1K 44.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 58.8% $656

Groceries & Markets

Columbus, OH

$432 17.2%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 38% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbus, OH

$354 14.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 63.8% $226

Eating Out

Columbus, OH

$336 13.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 63.9% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Columbus, OH

$125 5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 0.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Columbus, OH

$79 3.2%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 50.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Columbus, OH

$61 2.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 9.9% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,563 in Columbus, OH 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 657% higher in Columbus, OH, 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 $78.0 in Columbus, OH versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $432 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbus, OH

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

08:00 8:00 AM

11 h ahead of Columbus, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

905,748

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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Columbus, OH Phuket 14,690 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Columbus, OH
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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

Columbus, OH vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbus, OH costs about 107% 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 $3,754 per month in Columbus, OH 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,503 in Columbus, OH and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 107%.

Public transport costs about 179% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Columbus, OH at $2,503. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Columbus, OH it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $2,503 in Columbus, OH. 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, Columbus, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.