Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $1,731
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $2,538 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $2,538
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $3,345 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $3,345
Phuket $2,845

Dubuque, IA costs about 43% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Dubuque, IA sits 28% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 $13.85

$4.40 ฿147

214.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.71 $49.71

$32.26 ฿1,078

54.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.76 ฿293

34.70%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$2.83 ฿94.5

76.33%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$0.90 ฿30.14

124.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.47 ฿15.56

102.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.55 ฿85.2

18.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.83 ฿128

18.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.73 ฿57.7

-54.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.47 ฿49.11

84.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.51 ฿50.6

86.75%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$2.17 ฿72.7

31.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$19.70 ฿658

-28.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$3.34 ฿112

210.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$11.16 ฿373

-4.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.85 ฿95.1

16.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.70 ฿56.9

-28.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.19 ฿73.3

48.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.05 ฿68.4

19.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.45 ฿48.57

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.38 ฿46.16

21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.07 ฿35.69

126.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.51 ฿16.91

250.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 $8.70

$4.26 ฿142

104.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$18.58 ฿621

-28.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.78 ฿59.7

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.85 ฿95.2

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.45 ฿48.45

-37.24%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-6.83%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-7.10%

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

$176 $176

$96.4 ฿3,221

82.87%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$11.04 ฿369

370.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$17.14 ฿573

196.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$52.2 ฿1,744

-29.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 $8.17

$7.81 ฿261

4.61%

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

$812 $812

$556 ฿18.6K

46.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$64.2 ฿2,146

-13.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 $35.65

$28.69 ฿959

24.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$95.4 ฿3,187

-9.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$88.0 ฿2,940

0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$737 ฿24.6K

33.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 $725

$462 ฿15.5K

56.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-29.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-0.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-50.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 $1,707

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-32.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 $3,768

$501 ฿16.7K

652.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

5.57

-5.75%

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

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 36.2% $262

Groceries & Markets

Dubuque, IA

$312 18%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 13.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 55.3% $154

Eating Out

Dubuque, IA

$242 14%

Phuket

$121 10% 49.9% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 3.8% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 27.4% $15

Getting Around

Dubuque, IA

- * 0%

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Dubuque, IA 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 653% higher in Dubuque, IA, 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 $50.0 in Dubuque, IA versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

09:34 9:34 AM

12 h ahead of Dubuque, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,667

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Dubuque, IA Phuket 14,340 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubuque, 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

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

Dubuque, IA costs about 43% 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 $2,596 per month in Dubuque, IA 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,731 in Dubuque, IA and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 43%.

Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Dubuque, IA and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Dubuque, IA at $1,731. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubuque, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,208 versus $1,731 in Dubuque, IA. 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, Dubuque, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.