Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Effingham, IL and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,500 in Effingham, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Effingham, IL
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Effingham, IL Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Effingham, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,500

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,500 in Effingham, IL versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Effingham, IL $2,500
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,556 in Effingham, IL versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Effingham, IL $3,556
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,612 in Effingham, IL versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Effingham, IL $4,612
Phuket $2,845

Living in Effingham, IL is roughly 107% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Effingham, IL is 84% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.06 $15.06

$4.40 ฿147

242.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.89 $44.89

$32.26 ฿1,078

39.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$8.76 ฿293

36.42%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$2.83 ฿94.5

95.41%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$0.90 ฿30.14

256.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$0.47 ฿15.56

465.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.55 ฿85.2

98.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.83 ฿128

83.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.73 ฿57.7

-48.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.47 ฿49.11

131.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.51 ฿50.6

196.69%

Eggs

$3.67 $3.67

$2.17 ฿72.7

69.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 $12.49

$19.70 ฿658

-36.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$3.34 ฿112

223.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$11.16 ฿373

50.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$2.85 ฿95.1

100.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.70 ฿56.9

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.19 ฿73.3

115.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.05 ฿68.4

113.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.45 ฿48.57

53.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.38 ฿46.16

-21.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.07 ฿35.69

128.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.51 ฿16.91

376.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$4.26 ฿142

154.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$18.58 ฿621

-36.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.78 ฿59.7

12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.85 ฿95.2

27.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.26 ฿75.6

-18.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.01 ฿101

-35.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.06 ฿35.34

66.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.78 $33.78

$3.86 ฿129

775.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 ฿48.45

-31.72%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

14.28%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-2.74%

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

$229 $229

$96.4 ฿3,221

138.05%

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

$44.95 $44.95

$11.04 ฿369

307.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 $65.4

$17.14 ฿573

281.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 $41.33

$52.2 ฿1,744

-20.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$7.81 ฿261

91.81%

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

$1,729 $1,729

$556 ฿18.6K

210.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

108.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.09 $45.09

$64.2 ฿2,146

-29.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.03 $35.03

$28.69 ฿959

22.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 $85.7

$95.4 ฿3,187

-10.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.2 $65.2

$88.0 ฿2,940

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$737 ฿24.6K

120.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$462 ฿15.5K

180.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 $2,487

$2,095 ฿70.0K

18.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,146 $2,146

$1,201 ฿40.1K

78.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,804 $2,804

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-19.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,326 $2,326

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-7.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

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 Effingham, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Effingham, IL

$1.3K 51.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 64.4% $835

Groceries & Markets

Effingham, IL

$384 15.4%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 30.1% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Effingham, IL

$340 13.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 63.3% $215

Eating Out

Effingham, IL

$285 11.4%

Phuket

$121 10% 57.5% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Effingham, IL

$104 4.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 19.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Effingham, IL

$71 2.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 4.9% $3.5

Getting Around

Effingham, IL

$18 * 0.7%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 118% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Effingham, IL and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Effingham, IL vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Effingham, IL

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

05:15 5:15 AM

12 h ahead of Effingham, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,447

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Effingham, IL Phuket 14,740 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Effingham, IL
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

Effingham, IL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Effingham, IL and Phuket differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,500 vs $1,208 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,750 in Effingham, IL and $1,813 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Effingham, IL versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Effingham, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,500 per month in Effingham, IL versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,500 in Effingham, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Effingham, IL. 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, Effingham, IL 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 107% less than in Effingham, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.