Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cupertino, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $3,312 in Cupertino, CA, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Cupertino, CA
Learn more

Cupertino, CA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Cupertino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,312

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,312 per month in Cupertino, CA vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Cupertino, CA $3,312
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $5,276 per month in Cupertino, CA vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Cupertino, CA $5,276
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $7,240 per month in Cupertino, CA vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Cupertino, CA $7,240
Phuket $3,115

Cupertino, CA costs about 156% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cupertino, CA sits 145% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.53 $24.53

$4.39 ฿148

458.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.6 $50.6

$32.31 ฿1,089

56.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$8.70 ฿293

12.99%

Cappuccino

$4.36 $4.36

$2.72 ฿91.8

60.29%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$0.93 ฿31.35

163.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.50 ฿16.83

344.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.91 $6.91

$2.53 ฿85.3

173.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 $7.89

$3.63 ฿122

117.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.74 ฿58.6

-22.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.45 ฿48.89

126.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.50 ฿50.6

192.67%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$2.17 ฿73.2

135.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$19.09 ฿643

-66.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$3.40 ฿115

282.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.90 ฿367

20.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.94 ฿99.1

31.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.69 ฿57.0

27.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.19 ฿73.9

1.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.12 ฿71.6

32.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.46 ฿49.15

69.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.37 ฿46.10

124.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.08 ฿36.26

182.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.55 ฿18.38

76.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$4.43 ฿149

162.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.96 $10.96

$18.25 ฿615

-39.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.77 ฿59.7

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.88 ฿97.1

-33.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.45 ฿48.78

105.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 $138

$54.9 ฿1,850

151.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.51 ฿51.0

72.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$0.78 ฿26.14

165.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$3.84 ฿129

686.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.49 ฿50.1

2.68%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$26.9K ฿905.9K

5.96%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.3K ฿887.8K

2.41%

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

$255 $255

$97.8 ฿3,296

161.04%

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

$61.0 $61.0

$11.29 ฿381

440.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$17.19 ฿579

288.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.70 $35.70

$68.3 ฿2,303

-47.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$15.59 $15.59

$7.43 ฿250

109.83%

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

$2,160 $2,160

$530 ฿17.9K

307.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.1K $32.1K

$18.8K ฿632.9K

71.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 $56.9

$61.7 ฿2,078

-7.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 $34.98

$28.25 ฿952

23.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 $90.3

$96.0 ฿3,235

-5.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.6 $58.6

$86.8 ฿2,926

-32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 $2,550

$721 ฿24.3K

253.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 $1,908

$509 ฿17.1K

275.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,080 $5,080

$1,950 ฿65.7K

160.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,349 $4,349

$1,397 ฿47.1K

211.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,565 $7,565

$492 ฿16.6K

1438.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

5.57

17.06%

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

Last update for Cupertino, CA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cupertino, CA

$1.9K 57.6%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 73.3% $1.4K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cupertino, CA

$383 11.6%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 67% $257

Eating Out

Cupertino, CA

$347 10.5%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 65.5% $227

Groceries & Markets

Cupertino, CA

$336 10.1%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 20.6% $69

Getting Around

Cupertino, CA

$163 4.9%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 59.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Cupertino, CA

$108 3.3%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 13.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cupertino, CA

$67 2%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 24.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,550 in Cupertino, CA 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 Cupertino, CA are about 15 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Cupertino, CA versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cupertino, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:01 8:01 AM

23:01 11:01 PM

15 h ahead of Cupertino, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,302

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 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 = 0.893 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cupertino, CA Phuket 13,470 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Cupertino, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,312 in Cupertino, CA, $1,294 in Phuket – Phuket comes out roughly 61% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,969 per month in Cupertino, CA 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 $2,550 in Cupertino, CA.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Cupertino, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51 in Cupertino, CA and $32 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 $1,294, than in Cupertino, CA at $3,312. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cupertino, CA 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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