Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hays, KS and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,737 in Hays, KS, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Hays, KS
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Hays, KS Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,737 per month in Hays, KS vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Hays, KS $1,737
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $2,467 per month in Hays, KS vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Hays, KS $2,467
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $3,198 per month in Hays, KS vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Hays, KS $3,198
Phuket $2,845

Hays, KS costs about 44% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Hays, KS sits 28% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 $13.33

$4.40 ฿147

202.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 $43.87

$32.26 ฿1,078

35.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 $8.11

$8.76 ฿293

-7.42%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$2.83 ฿94.5

40.64%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$0.90 ฿30.14

165.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.47 ฿15.56

117.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.55 ฿85.2

50.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.83 ฿128

13.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.73 ฿57.7

-56.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.47 ฿49.11

53.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.51 ฿50.6

195.36%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.17 ฿72.7

-5.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$19.70 ฿658

-77.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$3.34 ฿112

167.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$11.16 ฿373

19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.85 ฿95.1

111.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.70 ฿56.9

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.19 ฿73.3

131.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.05 ฿68.4

115.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.45 ฿48.57

102.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.38 ฿46.16

57.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.07 ฿35.69

84.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.51 ฿16.91

298.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 $9.68

$4.26 ฿142

127.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$18.58 ฿621

-34.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.78 ฿59.7

25.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.85 ฿95.2

35.09%

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)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.01 ฿101

-19.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.06 ฿35.34

48.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 $39.71

$3.86 ฿129

928.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.45 ฿48.45

-36.55%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

6.63%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-3.68%

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

$269 $269

$96.4 ฿3,221

178.77%

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

$34.85 $34.85

$11.04 ฿369

215.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$17.14 ฿573

301.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.17 $45.17

$52.2 ฿1,744

-13.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$7.81 ฿261

94.75%

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

$922 $922

$556 ฿18.6K

65.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K $15.7K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

35.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.68 $23.68

$64.2 ฿2,146

-63.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$28.69 ฿959

10.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$95.4 ฿3,187

14.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$88.0 ฿2,940

56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 $793

$737 ฿24.6K

7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 $589

$462 ฿15.5K

27.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 $1,034

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-50.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 $895

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-25.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,386 $2,386

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-31.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 $2,615

$2,523 ฿84.3K

3.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 $2,386

$501 ฿16.7K

376.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

5.57

19.39%

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

Last update for Hays, KS: 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

Hays, KS

$589 33.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 21.5% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hays, KS

$372 21.4%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 66.5% $248

Groceries & Markets

Hays, KS

$325 18.7%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 17.4% $57

Eating Out

Hays, KS

$220 12.7%

Phuket

$121 10% 44.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Hays, KS

$136 7.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 8.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Hays, KS

$76 4.4%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 10.3% $7.8

Getting Around

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 115% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $793 in Hays, KS 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 377% higher in Hays, KS, 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 $44.00 in Hays, KS versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

12:22 12:22 PM

12 h ahead of Hays, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,726

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 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).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hays, KS Phuket 14,500 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Hays, KS
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

Hays, KS vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hays, KS is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,605 per month in Hays, KS 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Hays, KS and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Hays, KS, 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 Hays, KS at $1,737. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hays, KS 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.

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