Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Highlands Ranch, CO and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

161

Cost of Living Index in Highlands Ranch, CO
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Highlands Ranch, CO Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Highlands Ranch, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,365

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,365 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $3,365
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $2,987 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $2,987
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $2,609 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Highlands Ranch, CO $2,609
Phuket $2,845

Highlands Ranch, CO costs about 178% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Highlands Ranch, CO sits 148% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$4.40 ฿147

247.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$32.26 ฿1,078

146.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 $10.20

$8.76 ฿293

16.44%

Cappuccino

$6.26 $6.26

$2.83 ฿94.5

121.20%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$0.90 ฿30.14

175.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.47 ฿15.56

353.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.55 ฿85.2

98.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.83 ฿128

60.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.73 ฿57.7

-39.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.47 ฿49.11

96.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.51 ฿50.6

85.43%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.17 ฿72.7

97.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$19.70 ฿658

-45.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$3.34 ฿112

115.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 $19.01

$11.16 ฿373

70.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.85 ฿95.1

41.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.70 ฿56.9

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.19 ฿73.3

121.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.05 ฿68.4

156.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.45 ฿48.57

148.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.38 ฿46.16

231.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.07 ฿35.69

107.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.51 ฿16.91

235.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.41 $10.41

$4.26 ฿142

144.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.42 $16.42

$18.58 ฿621

-11.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.78 ฿59.7

40.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.85 ฿95.2

-8.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.01 ฿101

-17.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.06 ฿35.34

78.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 $25.39

$3.86 ฿129

557.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.45 ฿48.45

-29.66%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

6.36%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-3.70%

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

$215 $215

$96.4 ฿3,221

122.86%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$11.04 ฿369

414.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$17.14 ฿573

301.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 $11.99

$7.81 ฿261

53.52%

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

$1,306 $1,306

$556 ฿18.6K

134.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K $12.3K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

5.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$64.2 ฿2,146

-6.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 $68.4

$28.69 ฿959

138.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 $78.5

$95.4 ฿3,187

-17.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$88.0 ฿2,940

34.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,864 $2,864

$737 ฿24.6K

288.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$462 ฿15.5K

373.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,275 $7,275

$501 ฿16.7K

1353.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

5.57

20.29%

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

Last update for Highlands Ranch, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Highlands Ranch, CO

$2.2K 65.1%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 78.9% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Highlands Ranch, CO

$368 10.9%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 27% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Highlands Ranch, CO

$340 10.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 63.4% $216

Eating Out

Highlands Ranch, CO

$284 8.4%

Phuket

$121 10% 57.3% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Highlands Ranch, CO

$146 4.4%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 15% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Highlands Ranch, CO

$24 * 0.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 183% $44

Getting Around

Highlands Ranch, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 230% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,864 in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 1353% higher in Highlands Ranch, CO, 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 $80.0 in Highlands Ranch, CO versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Highlands Ranch, CO

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:26 6:26 PM

07:26 7:26 AM

13 h ahead of Highlands Ranch, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

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 →

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Highlands Ranch, CO Phuket 14,220 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Highlands Ranch, CO
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

Highlands Ranch, CO vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO, $1,208 in Phuket – roughly 178% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,047 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO and $1,208 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 178%.

Kindergarten costs $1,306 per month in Highlands Ranch, CO and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Highlands Ranch, CO at $3,365. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highlands Ranch, CO 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 $3,365 in Highlands Ranch, CO. 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, Highlands Ranch, CO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.