Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $32,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,978 in Fairfield, CA versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Fairfield, CA $3,978
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Fairfield, CA $5,242
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,507 in Fairfield, CA versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Fairfield, CA $6,507
Phuket $3,115

Living in Fairfield, CA is roughly 207% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fairfield, CA is 194% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$4.39 ฿148

392.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$32.31 ฿1,086

174.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$8.70 ฿293

38.05%

Cappuccino

$6.94 $6.94

$2.72 ฿91.6

155.15%

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

$3.49 $3.49

$0.93 ฿31.28

275.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.50 ฿16.79

304.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$2.53 ฿85.1

215.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.63 ฿122

97.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.74 ฿58.5

-18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.45 ฿48.77

204.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.50 ฿50.5

212.00%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$2.17 ฿73.0

155.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$19.09 ฿642

-26.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$3.40 ฿114

347.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$10.90 ฿366

63.03%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.94 ฿98.9

107.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.69 ฿56.9

53.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$2.19 ฿73.8

189.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$2.12 ฿71.4

211.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.46 ฿49.03

166.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.37 ฿45.99

158.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.08 ฿36.17

115.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.55 ฿18.34

274.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$4.43 ฿149

167.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 $10.18

$18.25 ฿614

-44.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.77 ฿59.6

19.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.88 ฿96.8

-26.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.45 ฿48.66

35.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 $87.1

$54.9 ฿1,845

58.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.51 ฿50.9

95.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.78 ฿26.08

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$3.84 ฿129

658.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.49 ฿50.0

-4.03%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$26.9K ฿903.7K

4.83%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K ฿885.7K

-0.85%

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

$193 $193

$97.8 ฿3,288

97.00%

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

$48.25 $48.25

$11.29 ฿380

327.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$17.19 ฿578

324.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$68.3 ฿2,297

83.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$10.92 ฿367

575.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$7.43 ฿250

96.64%

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

$1,293 $1,293

$530 ฿17.8K

143.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$18.8K ฿631.4K

18.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$61.7 ฿2,073

-17.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 $37.08

$28.25 ฿950

31.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$96.0 ฿3,228

11.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$86.8 ฿2,919

28.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 $2,396

$721 ฿24.2K

232.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$509 ฿17.1K

377.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$1,950 ฿65.6K

58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 $2,967

$1,397 ฿47.0K

112.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,719 $3,719

$4,192 ฿140.9K

-11.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,665 $3,665

$3,298 ฿110.9K

11.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,749 $4,749

$492 ฿16.5K

865.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

5.57

16.34%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 79.1% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 42.4% $196

Eating Out

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 67.6% $249

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 59.8% $188

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 46.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 11.2% $15

Getting Around

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 38.6% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,396 in Fairfield, CA and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfield, CA pays about 9.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Fairfield, CA vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:44 12:44 PM

03:44 3:44 AM

15 h ahead of Fairfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Fairfield, CA Phuket 13,400 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

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Fairfield, CA
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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

Fairfield, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Fairfield, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Fairfield, CA is about 9.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,396 in Fairfield, CA versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,978 per month in Fairfield, CA versus $1,294 in Phuket – Phuket is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 37% less than in Fairfield, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fairfield, CA. 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Fairfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.