Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Glendale, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,628 in Glendale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, CA
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Glendale, CA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,628

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,628 in Glendale, CA versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Glendale, CA $3,628
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,588 in Glendale, CA versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Glendale, CA $4,588
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,548 in Glendale, CA versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Glendale, CA $5,548
Phuket $2,867

Living in Glendale, CA is roughly 201% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Glendale, CA is 169% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.16 $25.16

$4.58 ฿153

449.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 $76.6

$32.48 ฿1,086

135.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.22 $15.22

$8.55 ฿286

78.01%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$2.72 ฿91.0

116.18%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$0.94 ฿31.25

232.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.49 ฿16.39

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$2.59 ฿86.6

173.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$3.83 ฿128

157.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.74 ฿58.1

-18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.79 $4.79

$1.43 ฿47.82

234.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.53 ฿51.0

205.88%

Eggs

$5.79 $5.79

$2.17 ฿72.7

166.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$19.15 ฿640

-40.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$3.30 ฿110

160.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.38 $19.38

$11.14 ฿372

73.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.95 ฿98.5

60.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.68 ฿56.1

38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.30 ฿76.8

76.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.13 ฿71.3

153.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.53 ฿51.1

121.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.36 ฿45.55

107.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.12 ฿37.44

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.55 ฿18.24

343.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.91 $11.91

$4.26 ฿142

179.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$18.19 ฿608

-18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.74 ฿58.2

45.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.79 ฿93.3

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.22 ฿74.1

-9.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.5 $91.5

$22.06 ฿737

314.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.91 ฿97.3

4.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.01 ฿33.79

78.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.99 $31.99

$3.83 ฿128

735.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.49 ฿49.85

4.70%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

36.37%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-4.87%

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

$221 $221

$99.4 ฿3,321

122.50%

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

$78.0 $78.0

$11.28 ฿377

591.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.1 $74.1

$17.36 ฿580

326.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 $39.95

$52.3 ฿1,747

-23.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$20.13 $20.13

$7.57 ฿253

165.92%

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

$1,174 $1,174

$558 ฿18.7K

110.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K $32.0K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

178.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$62.9 ฿2,102

-2.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.74 $48.74

$28.58 ฿955

70.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$96.1 ฿3,213

26.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 $199

$88.1 ฿2,943

125.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 $1,579

$729 ฿24.4K

116.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 $2,053

$460 ฿15.4K

346.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$2,096 ฿70.0K

20.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 $2,129

$1,222 ฿40.8K

74.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,395 $2,395

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-30.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,760 $2,760

$2,489 ฿83.2K

10.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,110 $5,110

$493 ฿16.5K

936.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

5.57

17.24%

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

Last update for Glendale, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Glendale, CA

$2.1K 56.6%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 77.6% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Glendale, CA

$421 11.6%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 36.4% $153

Eating Out

Glendale, CA

$395 10.9%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 69.3% $274

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Glendale, CA

$373 10.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 65.7% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Glendale, CA

$194 5.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 36% $70

Getting Around

Glendale, CA

$112 3.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 65.2% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Glendale, CA

$80 2.2%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 15.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Glendale, CA and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glendale, CA pays 936% 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: $77.0 in Glendale, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

23:40 11:40 PM

14 h ahead of Glendale, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,831

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Glendale, CA Phuket 13,960 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Glendale, 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 201% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 936% higher in Glendale, CA, 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: $1,579 in Glendale, CA versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 315% less than in Glendale, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,174 in Glendale, CA versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,628 in Glendale, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Glendale, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Glendale, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Glendale, CA 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 201% less than in Glendale, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.