Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fontana, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,395 in Fontana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

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

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Fontana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,395

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,395 per month in Fontana, CA vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Fontana, CA $3,395
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $5,018 per month in Fontana, CA vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Fontana, CA $5,018
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $6,640 per month in Fontana, CA vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Fontana, CA $6,640
Phuket $3,154

Fontana, CA costs about 166% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fontana, CA sits 149% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.08 $20.08

$4.47 ฿151

349.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$32.41 ฿1,093

143.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.81 ฿297

67.08%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$2.83 ฿95.4

102.47%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$0.87 ฿29.41

290.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.49 ฿16.65

404.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.28 $7.28

$2.56 ฿86.3

184.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.61 $9.61

$3.68 ฿124

161.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.66 ฿55.9

-36.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.46 ฿49.31

182.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.50 ฿50.5

214.67%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.09 ฿70.5

142.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$19.07 ฿643

-31.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$3.30 ฿111

168.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.70 $15.70

$10.91 ฿368

43.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.93 ฿98.9

60.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.69 ฿57.0

28.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.25 ฿75.8

73.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.08 ฿70.0

162.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.51 ฿51.0

149.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.38 ฿46.52

60.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.07 ฿35.96

87.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.52 ฿17.51

267.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$4.20 ฿142

179.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 $15.27

$18.79 ฿634

-18.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.82 ฿61.5

10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.84 ฿95.8

43.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.43 $45.43

$56.7 ฿1,912

-19.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.02 ฿102

102.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.47 ฿49.76

4.08%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

5.64%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-2.57%

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

$221 $221

$96.4 ฿3,251

129.76%

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

$79.0 $79.0

$11.26 ฿380

601.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.0 $60.0

$16.85 ฿568

255.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$7.50 ฿253

102.40%

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

$1,195 $1,195

$476 ฿16.1K

151.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$62.4 ฿2,104

-8.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.72 $40.72

$28.41 ฿958

43.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$94.3 ฿3,181

-1.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$85.8 ฿2,895

20.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$716 ฿24.2K

175.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$491 ฿16.6K

321.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,187 $3,187

$1,927 ฿65.0K

65.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 $3,737

$1,431 ฿48.3K

161.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,906 $4,906

$502 ฿16.9K

876.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

5.57

13.29%

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

Last update for Fontana, CA: 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

Fontana, CA

$2.1K 61%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 76.3% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Fontana, CA

$397 11.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 32.9% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fontana, CA

$360 10.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 65.5% $236

Eating Out

Fontana, CA

$353 10.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 65.5% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Fontana, CA

$132 3.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 7.9% $10

Getting Around

Fontana, CA

$52 * 1.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 36.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Fontana, CA

$30 * 0.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 171% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,970 in Fontana, CA 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 Fontana, CA are about 9.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Fontana, CA versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fontana, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

06:10 6:10 AM

15 h ahead of Fontana, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

210,000

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fontana, CA Phuket 14,010 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Fontana, CA
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

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

Fontana, CA costs about 166% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,093 per month in Fontana, CA 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 $1,970 in Fontana, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,395 in Fontana, CA and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 62% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 20% less in Fontana, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Fontana, CA at $3,395. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fontana, CA 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.

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