Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,509 in Houston, MO versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,690 in Houston, MO versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,871 in Houston, MO versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Houston, MO is roughly 98% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Houston, MO is 87% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.02 $12.02

$4.70 ฿153

155.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 $86.2

$45.37 ฿1,482

89.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$8.43 ฿275

32.86%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$2.93 ฿95.6

91.47%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$0.69 ฿22.40

276.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.37 ฿11.99

481.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$2.41 ฿78.6

141.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 $6.31

$3.72 ฿122

69.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.23 ฿72.9

-49.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.83 ฿59.8

75.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.17 ฿70.8

194.93%

Eggs

$4.85 $4.85

$2.21 ฿72.3

119.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.36 $18.36

$19.74 ฿645

-6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$3.63 ฿119

345.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$13.53 ฿442

19.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.28 ฿107

39.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.61 ฿52.6

-19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.41 ฿78.6

49.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.08 ฿68.1

33.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.53 ฿49.93

51.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.48 ฿48.36

78.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.99 ฿32.29

82.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$0.51 ฿16.67

421.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 $9.96

$4.41 ฿144

125.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$19.38 ฿633

-23.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.78 ฿58.1

5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.71 ฿88.6

11.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.37 ฿44.79

49.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.02 ฿98.6

15.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.99 ฿32.48

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.64 $28.64

$14.10 ฿461

103.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.36 ฿44.51

-47.06%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

8.24%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

3.33%

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

$192 $192

$122 ฿3,975

57.67%

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

$47.71 $47.71

$13.57 ฿443

251.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.55 $49.55

$18.31 ฿598

170.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 $42.17

$60.2 ฿1,967

-29.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$8.69 ฿284

71.46%

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

$1,322 $1,322

$693 ฿22.6K

90.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

50.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.22 $48.22

$59.5 ฿1,944

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.69 $39.69

$34.77 ฿1,136

14.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 $67.6

$115 ฿3,743

-41.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 $68.7

$83.3 ฿2,720

-17.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$613 ฿20.0K

159.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 $1,365

$437 ฿14.3K

212.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,632 $2,632

$2,094 ฿68.4K

25.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,235 $2,235

$1,509 ฿49.3K

48.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,693 $2,693

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-28.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,624 $2,624

$2,616 ฿85.4K

0.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

5.33

23.08%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,593 in Houston, MO and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Houston, MO vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Houston, MO vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,763 in Houston, MO and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,593 in Houston, MO versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,322 in Houston, MO versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $86.0 in Houston, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,509 in Houston, MO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Houston, MO. 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 Houston, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Houston, MO 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 98% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.