Cost of Living Comparison Between Florence, SC and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Florence, SC and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,616 in Florence, SC versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,755 in Florence, SC versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,894 in Florence, SC versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Florence, SC is roughly 107% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Florence, SC is 95% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 $15.15

$4.56 ฿149

232.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$46.63 ฿1,519

39.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 $10.79

$8.47 ฿276

27.39%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$3.03 ฿98.6

70.30%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$0.69 ฿22.45

244.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.37 ฿11.92

451.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.49 ฿81.0

63.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.66 ฿119

60.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.18 ฿71.0

-54.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.90 ฿62.0

72.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.20 ฿71.6

103.18%

Eggs

$5.69 $5.69

$2.22 ฿72.4

156.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 $8.89

$19.99 ฿651

-55.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$3.66 ฿119

420.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.78 $22.78

$13.25 ฿432

71.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.23 ฿105

34.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.70 ฿55.3

-21.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.39 ฿78.0

87.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.08 ฿67.7

108.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.59 ฿51.8

41.51%

Onion (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.48 ฿48.31

196.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.03 ฿33.54

91.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.52 ฿16.83

280.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.25 ฿138

54.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.03 $16.03

$18.79 ฿612

-14.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.76 ฿57.2

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.76 ฿89.8

6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.36 ฿44.32

48.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.14 ฿102

29.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.04 ฿33.74

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.04 $29.04

$13.77 ฿448

110.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.34 ฿43.79

-40.30%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

2.95%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-27.98%

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

$183 $183

$124 ฿4,025

48.46%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$13.52 ฿440

303.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$18.69 ฿609

276.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.81 $42.81

$61.8 ฿2,013

-30.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$11.80 $11.80

$9.14 ฿298

29.10%

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

$1,429 $1,429

$703 ฿22.9K

103.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

49.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.45 $39.45

$59.5 ฿1,937

-33.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.21 $30.21

$35.07 ฿1,142

-13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$115 ฿3,754

-10.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$84.1 ฿2,737

33.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 $756

$619 ฿20.1K

22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 $1,344

$433 ฿14.1K

210.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,924 $3,924

$2,062 ฿67.2K

90.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,240 $2,240

$1,511 ฿49.2K

48.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,559 $1,559

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-57.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,573 $1,573

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-40.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,087 $3,087

$507 ฿16.5K

508.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

5.33

21.01%

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

Last update for Florence, SC: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Florence, SC and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florence, SC pays 509% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Florence, SC vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $437 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Florence, SC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Florence, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Florence, SC pays 509% more on average, 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: $756 in Florence, SC versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,429 in Florence, SC versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $65.0 in Florence, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,616 in Florence, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Florence, SC. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Florence, SC 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 Florence, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.