Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,299 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,299

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,299 in Des Moines, IA versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Des Moines, IA $2,299
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,459 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Des Moines, IA $3,459
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,618 in Des Moines, IA versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Des Moines, IA $4,618
Phuket $3,115

Living in Des Moines, IA is roughly 78% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Des Moines, IA is 70% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 $19.89

$4.39 ฿148

353.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$32.31 ฿1,086

215.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.70 ฿293

35.63%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$2.72 ฿91.6

140.44%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$0.93 ฿31.28

219.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.50 ฿16.79

394.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.53 ฿85.1

99.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.63 ฿122

55.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.74 ฿58.5

-50.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.45 ฿48.77

107.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.50 ฿50.5

116.00%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$2.17 ฿73.0

78.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 $9.40

$19.09 ฿642

-50.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$3.40 ฿114

406.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.90 ฿366

73.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.94 ฿98.9

78.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.69 ฿56.9

-10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.19 ฿73.8

124.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.12 ฿71.4

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.46 ฿49.03

195.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.37 ฿45.99

63.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.08 ฿36.17

155.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$0.55 ฿18.34

452.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$4.43 ฿149

128.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$18.25 ฿614

-18.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.77 ฿59.6

-5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.88 ฿96.8

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.45 ฿48.66

17.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$54.9 ฿1,845

5.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.51 ฿50.9

31.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.78 ฿26.08

60.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 $19.83

$3.84 ฿129

416.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.49 ฿50.0

-32.21%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.9K ฿903.7K

0.00%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.3K ฿885.7K

-3.01%

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

$191 $191

$97.8 ฿3,288

95.39%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$11.29 ฿380

368.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$17.19 ฿578

349.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 $33.80

$68.3 ฿2,297

-50.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 $20.24

$10.92 ฿367

85.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 $9.86

$7.43 ฿250

32.71%

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

$1,313 $1,313

$530 ฿17.8K

147.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

$18.8K ฿631.4K

-22.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$61.7 ฿2,073

24.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$28.25 ฿950

98.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$96.0 ฿3,228

6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 $166

$86.8 ฿2,919

90.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 $1,218

$721 ฿24.2K

68.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 $918

$509 ฿17.1K

80.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 $2,058

$1,950 ฿65.6K

5.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 $1,422

$1,397 ฿47.0K

1.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$4,192 ฿140.9K

-42.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,262 $2,262

$3,298 ฿110.9K

-31.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,788 $3,788

$492 ฿16.5K

670.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

5.57

17.95%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: 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

Des Moines, IA

$918 40%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 44.6% $410

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$421 18.3%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 36.6% $154

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$331 14.4%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 63.9% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$321 14%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 60.7% $195

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$181 7.9%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 32.1% $58

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.2%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 9.4% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$54 2.3%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 55.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,218 in Des Moines, IA and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays about 7.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $102 in Des Moines, IA vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

03:44 3:44 AM

13 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Des Moines, IA Phuket 14,380 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
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

Des Moines, IA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Des Moines, IA is about 7.7 times higher, 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: $1,218 in Des Moines, IA versus $721 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 versus $102 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,299 per month in Des Moines, IA versus $1,294 in Phuket – Phuket is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,299 in Des Moines, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Des Moines, IA and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.