Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Evanston, IL and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,572 in Evanston, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Evanston, IL
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Evanston, IL Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Evanston, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,572

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,572 per month in Evanston, IL vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Evanston, IL $2,572
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $4,469 per month in Evanston, IL vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Evanston, IL $4,469
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $6,366 per month in Evanston, IL vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Evanston, IL $6,366
Phuket $3,154

Evanston, IL costs about 101% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Evanston, IL sits 89% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.30 $20.30

$4.47 ฿151

354.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 $85.2

$32.41 ฿1,094

162.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.82 $12.82

$8.81 ฿297

45.52%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$2.83 ฿95.5

106.01%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$0.87 ฿29.43

211.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.49 ฿16.67

357.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$2.56 ฿86.4

172.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.68 ฿124

114.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.66 ฿56.0

-37.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.46 ฿49.35

155.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.50 ฿50.6

184.67%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$2.09 ฿70.5

119.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 $13.66

$19.07 ฿644

-28.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.34 $14.34

$3.30 ฿111

334.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 $19.96

$10.91 ฿368

82.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.93 ฿99.0

78.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.69 ฿57.1

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.25 ฿75.8

71.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$2.08 ฿70.1

140.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.51 ฿51.0

83.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.38 ฿46.56

113.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.07 ฿35.99

94.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.52 ฿17.52

355.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.83 $10.83

$4.20 ฿142

157.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$18.79 ฿634

-18.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.82 ฿61.5

46.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.84 ฿95.9

17.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.45 ฿49.03

69.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 $75.2

$56.7 ฿1,913

32.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.02 ฿102

33.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.02 ฿34.36

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.50 $44.50

$3.69 ฿125

1105.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.47 ฿49.81

-29.25%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

12.07%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-5.07%

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

$194 $194

$96.4 ฿3,254

101.72%

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

$60.4 $60.4

$11.26 ฿380

436.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.0 $74.0

$16.85 ฿569

339.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.0 $75.0

$67.2 ฿2,270

11.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.6 $59.6

$10.73 ฿362

455.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$7.50 ฿253

96.53%

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

$1,646 $1,646

$476 ฿16.1K

245.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

180.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$62.4 ฿2,106

1.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$28.41 ฿959

76.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$94.3 ฿3,184

14.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$85.8 ฿2,898

47.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 $1,688

$716 ฿24.2K

135.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,111 $1,111

$491 ฿16.6K

126.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,927 ฿65.1K

107.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,055 $3,055

$1,431 ฿48.3K

113.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.4K $14.4K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

244.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.7K $12.7K

$3,045 ฿102.8K

316.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,558 $5,558

$502 ฿17.0K

1006.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

5.57

22.26%

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

Last update for Evanston, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Evanston, IL

$1.1K 43.2%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 55.8% $620

Groceries & Markets

Evanston, IL

$433 16.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 38.6% $167

Eating Out

Evanston, IL

$341 13.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 64.3% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Evanston, IL

$329 12.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 62.1% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Evanston, IL

$157 6.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 22.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Evanston, IL

$105 4.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 21.3% $22

Getting Around

Evanston, IL

$96 3.7%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 26.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,688 in Evanston, IL 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 Evanston, IL are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Evanston, IL versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $433 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Evanston, IL

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:43 12:43 PM

00:43 12:43 AM

12 h ahead of Evanston, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,486

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 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 = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Evanston, IL Phuket 14,430 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Evanston, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,572 in Evanston, IL, $1,278 in Phuket – roughly 101% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,858 per month in Evanston, IL 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 $1,688 in Evanston, IL.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Evanston, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Evanston, IL and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Evanston, IL at $2,572. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Evanston, IL 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.

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, Evanston, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.