Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dearborn, MI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,632 in Dearborn, MI, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Dearborn, MI
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Dearborn, MI Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Dearborn, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,632

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,632 per month in Dearborn, MI vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Dearborn, MI $2,632
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $3,808 per month in Dearborn, MI vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Dearborn, MI $3,808
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $4,985 per month in Dearborn, MI vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Dearborn, MI $4,985
Phuket $2,845

Dearborn, MI costs about 118% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dearborn, MI sits 94% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$4.40 ฿147

302.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 $61.8

$32.26 ฿1,078

91.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 $10.80

$8.76 ฿293

23.29%

Cappuccino

$5.52 $5.52

$2.83 ฿94.5

95.05%

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

$2.65 $2.65

$0.90 ฿30.14

194.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.47 ฿15.56

317.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.55 ฿85.2

138.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.83 ฿128

110.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.73 ฿57.7

-53.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.47 ฿49.11

129.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.51 ฿50.6

192.72%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.17 ฿72.7

80.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$19.70 ฿658

-32.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$3.34 ฿112

241.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.19 $16.19

$11.16 ฿373

45.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.85 ฿95.1

73.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.70 ฿56.9

-8.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.19 ฿73.3

85.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.05 ฿68.4

91.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.45 ฿48.57

76.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.38 ฿46.16

119.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.07 ฿35.69

105.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.51 ฿16.91

309.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 $10.09

$4.26 ฿142

136.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$18.58 ฿621

-18.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.78 ฿59.7

41.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.85 ฿95.2

19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.26 ฿75.6

-9.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 $63.3

$22.10 ฿738

186.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 $2.70

$3.01 ฿101

-10.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.06 ฿35.34

44.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.17 $24.17

$3.86 ฿129

526.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.45 ฿48.45

-25.52%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

31.23%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-2.24%

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

$211 $211

$96.4 ฿3,221

119.35%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$11.04 ฿369

434.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 $69.8

$17.14 ฿573

306.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.89 $40.89

$52.2 ฿1,744

-21.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 $13.61

$7.81 ฿261

74.26%

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

$1,272 $1,272

$556 ฿18.6K

128.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

175.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 $59.3

$64.2 ฿2,146

-7.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.93 $41.93

$28.69 ฿959

46.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 $97.7

$95.4 ฿3,187

2.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$88.0 ฿2,940

31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$737 ฿24.6K

116.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 $1,308

$462 ฿15.5K

182.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,486 $2,486

$2,095 ฿70.0K

18.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$1,201 ฿40.1K

80.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,892 $1,892

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-45.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,903 $1,903

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-24.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,705 $3,705

$501 ฿16.7K

640.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

5.57

16.52%

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

Last update for Dearborn, MI: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dearborn, MI

$1.3K 49.7%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 64.6% $845

Groceries & Markets

Dearborn, MI

$388 14.7%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 30.7% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dearborn, MI

$340 12.9%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 63.4% $216

Eating Out

Dearborn, MI

$305 11.6%

Phuket

$121 10% 60.3% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Dearborn, MI

$142 5.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 12.3% $17

Getting Around

Dearborn, MI

$82 3.1%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 51.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Dearborn, MI

$68 2.6%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 0.5% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,597 in Dearborn, MI versus $737 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 640% higher in Dearborn, MI, 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 $62.0 in Dearborn, MI versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dearborn, MI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

17:16 5:16 PM

11 h ahead of Dearborn, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,382

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Dearborn, MI Phuket 14,430 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

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Dearborn, MI
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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

Dearborn, MI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dearborn, MI is pricier by about 118%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,948 per month in Dearborn, MI and $1,813 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 $1,272 per month in Dearborn, MI and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Dearborn, MI, 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 $1,208, than in Dearborn, MI at $2,632. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dearborn, MI 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 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, Dearborn, MI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.