Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,548 in Houghton, MI versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,554 in Houghton, MI versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,560 in Houghton, MI versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Houghton, MI is roughly 101% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Houghton, MI is 90% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.82 $12.82

$4.70 ฿153

172.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.42 $40.42

$45.37 ฿1,482

-10.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.43 ฿275

17.20%

Cappuccino

$4.20 $4.20

$2.93 ฿95.6

43.34%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$0.69 ฿22.40

307.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.37 ฿11.99

337.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.41 ฿78.6

150.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$3.72 ฿122

92.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.23 ฿72.9

-51.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.83 ฿59.8

93.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.17 ฿70.8

98.16%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$2.21 ฿72.3

81.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$19.74 ฿645

-37.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 $11.39

$3.63 ฿119

213.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$13.53 ฿442

12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.28 ฿107

52.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.61 ฿52.6

1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.41 ฿78.6

73.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.08 ฿68.1

128.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.53 ฿49.93

81.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.48 ฿48.36

96.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.99 ฿32.29

103.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.51 ฿16.67

311.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 $9.61

$4.41 ฿144

117.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.96 $14.96

$19.38 ฿633

-22.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.78 ฿58.1

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.71 ฿88.6

21.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.37 ฿44.79

44.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.02 ฿98.6

14.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$0.99 ฿32.48

64.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.71 $28.71

$14.10 ฿461

103.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.36 ฿44.51

-36.76%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

5.30%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.45%

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

$184 $184

$122 ฿3,975

51.51%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$13.57 ฿443

288.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$18.31 ฿598

272.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.57 $43.57

$60.2 ฿1,967

-27.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 $13.24

$8.69 ฿284

52.36%

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

$1,321 $1,321

$693 ฿22.6K

90.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

47.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 $51.4

$59.5 ฿1,944

-13.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.70 $39.70

$34.77 ฿1,136

14.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$115 ฿3,743

-25.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$83.3 ฿2,720

36.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$613 ฿20.0K

156.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$437 ฿14.3K

206.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,632 $2,632

$2,094 ฿68.4K

25.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,201 $2,201

$1,509 ฿49.3K

45.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,556 $1,556

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-58.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,587 $1,587

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-39.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,568 $2,568

$508 ฿16.6K

405.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.33

22.14%

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

Last update for Houghton, MI: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,574 in Houghton, MI and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houghton, MI pays 405% 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: $40.00 in Houghton, MI vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $388 vs $293, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

Houghton, MI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Houghton, MI pays 405% more on average, 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: $1,574 in Houghton, MI versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Houghton, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,548 per month in Houghton, MI versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,548 in Houghton, MI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Houghton, MI. 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 Houghton, MI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Houghton, MI 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 101% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.