Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Highland, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

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

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Highland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,680

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,680 per month in Highland, CA vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Highland, CA $2,680
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $4,015 per month in Highland, CA vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Highland, CA $4,015
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $5,349 per month in Highland, CA vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Highland, CA $5,349
Phuket $2,845

Highland, CA costs about 122% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Highland, CA sits 98% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$4.40 ฿147

469.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.1 $78.1

$32.26 ฿1,078

142.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.14 $15.14

$8.76 ฿293

72.83%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$2.83 ฿94.5

99.65%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$0.90 ฿30.14

242.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.47 ฿15.56

421.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$2.55 ฿85.2

181.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.03 $10.03

$3.83 ฿128

161.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.73 ฿57.7

-22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.69 $4.69

$1.47 ฿49.11

219.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.51 ฿50.6

201.32%

Eggs

$5.29 $5.29

$2.17 ฿72.7

143.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$19.70 ฿658

-41.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$3.34 ฿112

170.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$11.16 ฿373

75.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.85 ฿95.1

65.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.70 ฿56.9

31.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.19 ฿73.3

83.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.05 ฿68.4

165.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.45 ฿48.57

134.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.38 ฿46.16

110.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.07 ฿35.69

81.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$0.51 ฿16.91

388.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$4.26 ฿142

175.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$18.58 ฿621

-20.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.78 ฿59.7

39.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.85 ฿95.2

-2.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.26 ฿75.6

-10.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 $29.83

$22.10 ฿738

34.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.01 ฿101

1.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.06 ฿35.34

78.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.72 $31.72

$3.86 ฿129

721.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.45 ฿48.45

7.59%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

7.86%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-2.57%

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

$221 $221

$96.4 ฿3,221

129.53%

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

$77.6 $77.6

$11.04 ฿369

602.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.7 $78.7

$17.14 ฿573

359.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.95 $40.95

$52.2 ฿1,744

-21.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$18.20 $18.20

$7.81 ฿261

133.03%

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

$1,162 $1,162

$556 ฿18.6K

108.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

174.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 $62.8

$64.2 ฿2,146

-2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.18 $47.18

$28.69 ฿959

64.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$95.4 ฿3,187

11.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$88.0 ฿2,940

18.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$737 ฿24.6K

102.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 $1,219

$462 ฿15.5K

163.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,331 $2,331

$2,095 ฿70.0K

11.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$1,201 ฿40.1K

80.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,106 $3,106

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-10.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,390 $2,390

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-5.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

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 Highland, 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

Highland, CA

$1.2K 45.5%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 62.1% $757

Groceries & Markets

Highland, CA

$420 15.7%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 36% $151

Eating Out

Highland, CA

$392 14.6%

Phuket

$121 10% 69% $270

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Highland, CA

$377 14.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 67% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Highland, CA

$144 5.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 13.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Highland, CA

$77 2.9%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 12.4% $9.6

Getting Around

Highland, CA

$50 1.9%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 21.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,489 in Highland, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Highland, CA versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Highland, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

02:03 2:03 AM

14 h ahead of Highland, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,550

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 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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Highland, CA Phuket 14,030 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Highland, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,680 in Highland, CA, $1,208 in Phuket – roughly 122% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,021 per month in Highland, 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78.0 in Highland, CA and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,680 in Highland, CA and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 122%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Highland, CA at $2,680. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highland, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $2,680 in Highland, 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, Highland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.