Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East Chicago, IN and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,605 in East Chicago, IN, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in East Chicago, IN
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East Chicago, IN Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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East Chicago, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,605 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $2,605
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,819 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $3,819
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $5,034 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $5,034
Phuket $3,154

East Chicago, IN costs about 104% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

East Chicago, IN sits 91% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 $22.32

$4.47 ฿151

399.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$32.41 ฿1,094

100.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$8.81 ฿297

34.73%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.83 ฿95.5

98.94%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$0.87 ฿29.43

162.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.49 ฿16.67

318.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 $6.81

$2.56 ฿86.4

166.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 $6.27

$3.68 ฿124

70.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.66 ฿56.0

-36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.46 ฿49.35

108.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.50 ฿50.6

216.67%

Eggs

$3.58 $3.58

$2.09 ฿70.5

71.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 $13.42

$19.07 ฿644

-29.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$3.30 ฿111

276.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 $18.70

$10.91 ฿368

71.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.93 ฿99.0

73.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.69 ฿57.1

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.25 ฿75.8

90.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.08 ฿70.1

98.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.51 ฿51.0

84.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.38 ฿46.56

122.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.07 ฿35.99

108.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.52 ฿17.52

328.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$4.20 ฿142

143.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.19 $17.19

$18.79 ฿634

-8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.82 ฿61.5

8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.84 ฿95.9

9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.45 ฿49.03

28.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 $51.2

$56.7 ฿1,913

-9.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.02 ฿102

12.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.02 ฿34.36

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.94 $28.94

$3.69 ฿125

684.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.47 ฿49.81

-36.05%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

7.63%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-6.63%

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

$199 $199

$96.4 ฿3,254

106.72%

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

$57.1 $57.1

$11.26 ฿380

407.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$16.85 ฿569

313.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.38 $34.38

$67.2 ฿2,270

-48.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 $12.97

$7.50 ฿253

72.93%

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

$1,336 $1,336

$476 ฿16.1K

180.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K $21.6K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

91.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$62.4 ฿2,106

-10.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.96 $37.96

$28.41 ฿959

33.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 $91.3

$94.3 ฿3,184

-3.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$85.8 ฿2,898

25.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$716 ฿24.2K

120.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$491 ฿16.6K

157.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 $2,539

$1,927 ฿65.1K

31.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,140 $2,140

$1,431 ฿48.3K

49.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,920 $2,920

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-30.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,165 $2,165

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-28.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,091 $4,091

$502 ฿17.0K

714.50%

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 East Chicago, IN: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East Chicago, IN

$1.3K 48.6%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 61.2% $774

Groceries & Markets

East Chicago, IN

$406 15.6%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 34.4% $140

Eating Out

East Chicago, IN

$346 13.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 64.8% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East Chicago, IN

$326 12.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 61.8% $202

Clothing & Footwear

East Chicago, IN

$132 5.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 7.6% $10

Getting Around

East Chicago, IN

$70 2.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 1.1% $0.7

Sport & Entertainment

East Chicago, IN

$60 2.3%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 36.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,578 in East Chicago, IN versus $716 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 East Chicago, IN are about 8.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in East Chicago, IN versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 East Chicago, IN

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

21:25 9:25 PM

12 h ahead of East Chicago, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,370

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

East Chicago, IN Phuket 14,480 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

East Chicago, IN
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

East Chicago, IN vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – East Chicago, IN is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,907 per month in East Chicago, IN and $1,917 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 $716 there versus $1,578 in East Chicago, IN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,605 in East Chicago, IN and $1,278 in Phuket. That’s a gap of about 104%.

Public transport costs about 10% less in East Chicago, IN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in East Chicago, IN at $2,605. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in East Chicago, IN 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.

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