Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,127 in Fargo, ND, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,127

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Fargo, ND vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Fargo, ND $2,127
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,227 per month in Fargo, ND vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Fargo, ND $3,227
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $4,327 per month in Fargo, ND vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Fargo, ND $4,327
Phuket $3,154

Fargo, ND costs about 66% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Fargo, ND sits 56% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 $17.17

$4.47 ฿151

284.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$32.41 ฿1,093

82.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$8.81 ฿297

35.64%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$2.83 ฿95.4

91.17%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$0.87 ฿29.40

194.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.49 ฿16.65

295.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.56 ฿86.3

109.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.83 $8.83

$3.68 ฿124

139.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.66 ฿55.9

-25.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.46 ฿49.29

132.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.63 $7.63

$1.50 ฿50.5

408.67%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$2.09 ฿70.5

95.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$19.07 ฿643

-21.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.52 $15.52

$3.30 ฿111

370.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.08 $21.08

$10.91 ฿368

93.22%

Apples (1kg)

$10.28 $10.28

$2.93 ฿98.8

250.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.69 ฿57.0

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$2.25 ฿75.7

189.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.08 ฿70.0

159.62%

Potato (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.51 ฿51.0

237.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.38 ฿46.51

172.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.07 ฿35.95

82.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$0.52 ฿17.50

426.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.60 $8.60

$4.20 ฿142

104.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 $18.58

$18.79 ฿634

-1.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.82 ฿61.4

43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 $5.63

$2.84 ฿95.8

98.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.45 ฿48.97

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.10 $42.10

$56.7 ฿1,911

-25.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.02 ฿102

51.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.47 ฿49.75

-34.01%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$26.8K ฿903.2K

2.20%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.7K ฿900.3K

-5.05%

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

$138 $138

$96.4 ฿3,250

43.54%

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

$58.1 $58.1

$11.26 ฿380

416.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 $56.5

$16.85 ฿568

235.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 $52.0

$67.2 ฿2,268

-22.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$7.50 ฿253

86.13%

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

$1,247 $1,247

$476 ฿16.1K

161.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.85 $49.85

$62.4 ฿2,103

-20.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.16 $47.16

$28.41 ฿958

66.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 $84.2

$94.3 ฿3,180

-10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$85.8 ฿2,894

17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 $1,013

$716 ฿24.1K

41.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$491 ฿16.6K

60.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 $1,627

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-15.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 $1,363

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-4.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,459 $2,459

$4,175 ฿140.8K

-41.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,688 $1,688

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-44.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,858 $3,858

$502 ฿16.9K

668.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.57

15.44%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: 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

Fargo, ND

$790 37.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 37.8% $299

Groceries & Markets

Fargo, ND

$522 24.6%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 49% $256

Eating Out

Fargo, ND

$300 14.1%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 59.5% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fargo, ND

$253 11.9%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 50.8% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Fargo, ND

$127 6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 3.9% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Fargo, ND

$80 3.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 2.9% $2.4

Getting Around

Fargo, ND

$55 * 2.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 28.8% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,013 in Fargo, ND 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 Fargo, ND are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Fargo, ND versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $522 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

04:06 4:06 AM

12 h ahead of Fargo, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,056

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 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 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 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

Fargo, ND Phuket 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Fargo, ND
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

Fargo, ND vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fargo, ND costs about 66% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Fargo, ND 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 $1,013 in Fargo, ND.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59 in Fargo, ND and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,127 in Fargo, ND and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 40% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Fargo, ND at $2,127. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fargo, ND it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $2,127 in Fargo, ND. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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