Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairbanks, AK and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,000 in Fairbanks, AK, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Fairbanks, AK
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Fairbanks, AK Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Fairbanks, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,000

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,000 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $3,000
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $4,408 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $4,408
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $5,816 per month in Fairbanks, AK vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Fairbanks, AK $5,816
Phuket $2,845

Fairbanks, AK costs about 148% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fairbanks, AK sits 121% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.10 $25.10

$4.40 ฿147

470.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 $99.1

$32.26 ฿1,078

207.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 $15.27

$8.76 ฿293

74.32%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$2.83 ฿94.5

114.49%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$0.90 ฿30.14

197.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.47 ฿15.56

334.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 $6.83

$2.55 ฿85.2

167.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$3.83 ฿128

162.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.73 ฿57.7

-34.68%

White Bread (500g)

$5.38 $5.38

$1.47 ฿49.11

265.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.51 ฿50.6

216.56%

Eggs

$4.36 $4.36

$2.17 ฿72.7

100.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.93 $21.93

$19.70 ฿658

11.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.66 $8.66

$3.34 ฿112

159.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.87 $20.87

$11.16 ฿373

87.01%

Apples (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$2.85 ฿95.1

164.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.70 ฿56.9

27.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$2.19 ฿73.3

175.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$2.05 ฿68.4

204.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.45 ฿48.57

146.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.38 ฿46.16

167.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.07 ฿35.69

159.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.51 ฿16.91

296.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.10 $12.10

$4.26 ฿142

184.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 $12.20

$18.58 ฿621

-34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.78 ฿59.7

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.26 ฿75.6

-32.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.60 $40.60

$22.10 ฿738

83.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.01 ฿101

19.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.06 ฿35.34

103.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.97 $44.97

$3.86 ฿129

1065.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.45 ฿48.45

-11.72%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-1.45%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-8.28%

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

$212 $212

$96.4 ฿3,221

120.27%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$11.04 ฿369

455.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$139 $139

$17.14 ฿573

713.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.0 $98.0

$52.2 ฿1,744

87.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$18.10 $18.10

$7.81 ฿261

131.75%

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

$1,845 $1,845

$556 ฿18.6K

231.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 $59.4

$64.2 ฿2,146

-7.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.78 $39.78

$28.69 ฿959

38.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$95.4 ฿3,187

26.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$88.0 ฿2,940

35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$737 ฿24.6K

118.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 $1,381

$462 ฿15.5K

198.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 $2,580

$2,095 ฿70.0K

23.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 $2,230

$1,201 ฿40.1K

85.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,244 $2,244

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-35.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,000 $2,000

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-20.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,941 $3,941

$501 ฿16.7K

687.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

5.57

20.47%

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

Last update for Fairbanks, AK: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairbanks, AK

$1.4K 46%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 66.5% $918

Groceries & Markets

Fairbanks, AK

$466 * 15.5%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 42.4% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairbanks, AK

$413 13.8%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 69.8% $288

Eating Out

Fairbanks, AK

$393 13.1%

Phuket

$121 10% 69.1% $271

Clothing & Footwear

Fairbanks, AK

$152 5.1%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 18.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Fairbanks, AK

$134 4.5%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 49.5% $66

Getting Around

Fairbanks, AK

$61 2%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 35.4% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,612 in Fairbanks, AK 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 687% higher in Fairbanks, AK, 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 $99.0 in Fairbanks, AK versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $466 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairbanks, AK

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

22:02 10:02 PM

15 h ahead of Fairbanks, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,515

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 →

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Fairbanks, AK Phuket 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairbanks, AK
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

Fairbanks, AK vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fairbanks, AK is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,500 per month in Fairbanks, AK 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.

Groceries cost about 74% more in Fairbanks, AK, 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 $99.0 in Fairbanks, AK and $32.00 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 $1,208, than in Fairbanks, AK at $3,000. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fairbanks, AK 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, Fairbanks, AK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.