Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fullerton, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Fullerton, CA
Learn more

Fullerton, CA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Fullerton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,507

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,507 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $3,507
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $5,392 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $5,392
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $7,276 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $7,276
Phuket $2,845

Fullerton, CA costs about 190% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fullerton, CA sits 159% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$4.40 ฿147

470.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$32.26 ฿1,078

144.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$8.76 ฿293

29.57%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$2.83 ฿94.5

102.12%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$0.90 ฿30.14

212.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.47 ฿15.56

336.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$2.55 ฿85.2

209.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.83 ฿128

156.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.73 ฿57.7

-18.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.47 ฿49.11

246.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.51 ฿50.6

187.42%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.17 ฿72.7

133.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$19.70 ฿658

-37.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$3.34 ฿112

158.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$11.16 ฿373

40.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.85 ฿95.1

64.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.70 ฿56.9

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.19 ฿73.3

83.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.05 ฿68.4

212.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.45 ฿48.57

146.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.38 ฿46.16

139.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.07 ฿35.69

97.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.51 ฿16.91

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$4.26 ฿142

173.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$18.58 ฿621

-18.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.78 ฿59.7

-2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.85 ฿95.2

14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.26 ฿75.6

1.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$22.10 ฿738

192.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.01 ฿101

47.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.06 ฿35.34

78.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.21 $36.21

$3.86 ฿129

838.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.45 ฿48.45

2.07%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

3.44%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-2.58%

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

$213 $213

$96.4 ฿3,221

120.90%

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

$84.5 $84.5

$11.04 ฿369

665.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$17.14 ฿573

327.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.78 $40.78

$52.2 ฿1,744

-21.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 $12.13

$7.81 ฿261

55.31%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$556 ฿18.6K

150.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

273.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$64.2 ฿2,146

16.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 $40.26

$28.69 ฿959

40.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$95.4 ฿3,187

-7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$88.0 ฿2,940

36.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 $2,588

$737 ฿24.6K

251.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 $2,043

$462 ฿15.5K

341.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 $4,005

$2,095 ฿70.0K

91.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,069 $4,069

$1,201 ฿40.1K

238.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,472 $5,472

$3,488 ฿116.6K

56.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,578 $4,578

$501 ฿16.7K

814.42%

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 Fullerton, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fullerton, CA

$2K 58.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 77.4% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Fullerton, CA

$413 11.8%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 35% $145

Eating Out

Fullerton, CA

$382 10.9%

Phuket

$121 10% 68.3% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fullerton, CA

$371 10.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 66.4% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Fullerton, CA

$146 4.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 14.6% $21

Getting Around

Fullerton, CA

$88 2.5%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 55% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Fullerton, CA

$65 1.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 4.2% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,588 in Fullerton, CA 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 814% higher in Fullerton, CA, 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 $79.0 in Fullerton, CA versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fullerton, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

18:36 6:36 PM

14 h ahead of Fullerton, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,161

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fullerton, CA Phuket 14,000 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Fullerton, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, $1,208 in Phuket – roughly 190% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,260 per month in Fullerton, CA 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,391 per month in Fullerton, CA and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Fullerton, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Fullerton, CA at $3,507. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fullerton, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Fullerton, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $3,507 in Fullerton, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Fullerton, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.