Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, MT and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,151 in Hamilton, MT, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Hamilton, MT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,151
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,151 per month in Hamilton, MT vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Hamilton, MT $2,151
  • Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $3,548 per month in Hamilton, MT vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Hamilton, MT $3,548
  • Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $4,944 per month in Hamilton, MT vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Hamilton, MT $4,944
  • Phuket $2,845

Hamilton, MT costs about 78% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hamilton, MT sits 59% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamilton, MT
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$37.24 $37.24
$4.40 ฿147
746.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.6 $68.6
$32.26 ฿1,078
112.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.45 $11.45
$8.76 ฿293
30.71%
Cappuccino
$5.26 $5.26
$2.83 ฿94.5
85.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 $2.71
$0.90 ฿30.14
201.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$0.47 ฿15.56
327.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.07 $6.07
$2.55 ฿85.2
138.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.19 $7.19
$3.83 ฿128
87.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamilton, MT
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.73 ฿57.7
-38.15%
White Bread (500g)
$3.47 $3.47
$1.47 ฿49.11
136.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.93 $3.93
$1.51 ฿50.6
160.26%
Eggs
$4.28 $4.28
$2.17 ฿72.7
97.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.06 $14.06
$19.70 ฿658
-28.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.10 $12.10
$3.34 ฿112
262.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.29 $16.29
$11.16 ฿373
45.97%
Apples (1kg)
$6.14 $6.14
$2.85 ฿95.1
115.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.31 $1.31
$1.70 ฿56.9
-22.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.19 ฿73.3
98.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 $4.73
$2.05 ฿68.4
130.73%
Potato (1kg)
$2.61 $2.61
$1.45 ฿48.57
80.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.83 $2.83
$1.38 ฿46.16
105.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.07 ฿35.69
103.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 $2.40
$0.51 ฿16.91
370.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.30 $10.30
$4.26 ฿142
141.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.74 $14.74
$18.58 ฿621
-20.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.78 ฿59.7
7.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 $3.67
$2.85 ฿95.2
28.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamilton, MT
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.26 ฿75.6
-11.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$22.10 ฿738
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 $3.28
$3.01 ฿101
8.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.06 ฿35.34
45.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.65 $33.65
$3.86 ฿129
771.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.45 ฿48.45
-29.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.4K $25.4K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
-3.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
-4.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton, MT
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 $201
$96.4 ฿3,221
108.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$11.04 ฿369
433.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$89.0 $89.0
$17.14 ฿573
419.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton, MT
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.62 $41.62
$52.2 ฿1,744
-20.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.16 ฿373
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.05 $12.05
$7.81 ฿261
54.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamilton, MT
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,308 $1,308
$556 ฿18.6K
135.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.6K $25.6K
$11.6K ฿387.0K
120.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton, MT
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 $52.5
$64.2 ฿2,146
-18.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.30 $46.30
$28.69 ฿959
61.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.0 $90.0
$95.4 ฿3,187
-5.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$88.0 ฿2,940
28.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamilton, MT
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,147 $1,147
$737 ฿24.6K
55.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$717 $717
$462 ฿15.5K
54.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,378 $2,378
$2,095 ฿70.0K
13.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,826 $1,826
$1,201 ฿40.1K
52.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,306 $2,306
$3,488 ฿116.6K
-33.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,405 $2,405
$2,523 ฿84.3K
-4.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamilton, MT
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,556 $3,556
$501 ฿16.7K
610.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.29
5.57
30.88%

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

Last update for Hamilton, MT: 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
Hamilton, MT
$717
Phuket
$462 35.5% $254
Eating Out
Hamilton, MT
$459
Phuket
$121 73.6% $338
Groceries & Markets
Hamilton, MT
$407
Phuket
$269 33.9% $138
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton, MT
$349
Phuket
$125 64.3% $224
Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton, MT
$136
Phuket
$124 8.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton, MT
$66
Phuket
$68 3.2% $2.1
Getting Around
Hamilton, MT
$19 *
Phuket
$39 108% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,147 in Hamilton, MT 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 610% higher in Hamilton, MT, 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 $69.0 in Hamilton, MT versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $407 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Hamilton, MT
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
08:53 8:53 AM
21:53 9:53 PM
13 h ahead of Hamilton, MT
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
62,447
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamilton, MT Phuket 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hamilton, MT
  • 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
Hamilton, MT vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Hamilton, MT and in Phuket compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,151 in Hamilton, MT, $1,208 in Phuket – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Hamilton, MT compared to Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,227 per month in Hamilton, MT and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Hamilton, MT and Phuket?
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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Hamilton, MT or Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,151 in Hamilton, MT and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 78%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Hamilton, MT and Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $1,308 per month in Hamilton, MT and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Hamilton, MT at $2,151. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamilton, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Hamilton, MT and Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $2,151 in Hamilton, MT. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Hamilton, MT or Phuket safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Hamilton, MT and Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamilton, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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