Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,532 in Dublin, CA versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,765 in Dublin, CA versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,997 in Dublin, CA versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Dublin, CA is roughly 106% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dublin, CA is 89% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.51 $30.51

$4.63 ฿151

558.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 $49.37

$46.84 ฿1,532

5.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.20 $14.20

$8.84 ฿289

60.63%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$3.00 ฿98.0

105.67%

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

$3.59 $3.59

$0.74 ฿24.25

385.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$0.37 ฿11.95

805.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.20 $9.20

$2.44 ฿79.8

277.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.03 $9.03

$3.61 ฿118

150.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.26 ฿73.9

-41.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.84 ฿60.1

132.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.24 ฿73.4

41.07%

Eggs

$5.34 $5.34

$2.32 ฿75.7

130.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$19.67 ฿643

-67.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$3.65 ฿119

199.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 $12.43

$13.10 ฿428

-5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$3.39 ฿111

39.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.64 ฿53.7

132.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.41 ฿79.0

80.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.03 ฿66.4

120.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.56 ฿50.9

92.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.50 ฿48.94

44.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.02 ฿33.50

99.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$0.49 ฿16.00

455.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.45 ฿145

102.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$18.88 ฿617

-21.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.78 ฿58.1

16.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.75 ฿90.1

-17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.40 ฿45.81

44.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.39 $4.39

$3.12 ฿102

40.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.00 ฿32.67

86.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.43 $30.43

$14.09 ฿461

115.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.35 ฿44.19

-9.63%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

8.71%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-20.49%

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

$74.8 $74.8

$125 ฿4,087

-40.16%

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

$38.65 $38.65

$13.57 ฿444

184.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 $64.0

$18.52 ฿606

245.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.99 $42.99

$61.5 ฿2,010

-30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$17.94 $17.94

$9.19 ฿300

95.21%

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

$1,162 $1,162

$698 ฿22.8K

66.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

54.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$57.8 ฿1,889

-1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.49 $40.49

$35.24 ฿1,152

14.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 $78.8

$113 ฿3,699

-30.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 $79.9

$86.4 ฿2,825

-7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$616 ฿20.1K

163.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 $1,327

$446 ฿14.6K

197.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,654 $2,654

$2,048 ฿67.0K

29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,249 $2,249

$1,492 ฿48.8K

50.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,669 $2,669

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-29.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,354 $2,354

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-11.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,643 $5,643

$524 ฿17.1K

977.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.33

25.14%

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

Last update for Dublin, CA: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,625 in Dublin, CA and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin, CA pays 977% 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: $49.00 in Dublin, CA vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $292 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

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

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 106% lower than in Dublin, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Dublin, CA pays 977% more on average, 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: $1,625 in Dublin, CA versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,162 in Dublin, CA versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $49.00 in Dublin, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,532 in Dublin, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dublin, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dublin, 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 106% less than in Dublin, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.