Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,319 in Iowa City, IA versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,165 in Iowa City, IA versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Iowa City, IA is roughly 85% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iowa City, IA is 74% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$4.55 ฿153

235.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$46.18 ฿1,553

61.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.97 $8.97

$8.84 ฿297

1.47%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$3.06 ฿103

70.59%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$0.73 ฿24.40

223.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$0.40 ฿13.39

357.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.43 ฿81.8

111.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$3.78 ฿127

83.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.26 ฿76.0

-60.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.81 ฿60.9

49.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.25 ฿75.8

120.00%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.25 ฿75.5

84.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 $9.07

$19.51 ฿656

-53.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 $10.55

$3.65 ฿123

189.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.21 $16.21

$13.05 ฿439

24.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.23 ฿109

6.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.62 ฿54.4

-24.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.38 ฿80.1

17.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.03 ฿68.1

134.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.53 ฿51.6

30.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.50 ฿50.5

88.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.98 ฿32.91

107.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.52 ฿17.39

273.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.07 $9.07

$4.44 ฿149

104.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$18.32 ฿616

-13.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.86 ฿62.7

-8.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.68 ฿90.1

78.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.41 ฿47.46

42.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.05 $16.05

$11.70 ฿393

37.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.11 ฿105

46.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.04 ฿35.06

106.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 $42.69

$14.11 ฿474

202.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.31 ฿44.10

-40.46%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-9.94%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-23.23%

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

$220 $220

$122 ฿4,118

79.66%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$13.59 ฿457

279.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.2 $76.2

$18.70 ฿629

307.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 $49.61

$60.5 ฿2,034

-17.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.20 $20.20

$16.98 ฿571

18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 $12.13

$9.07 ฿305

33.74%

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

$1,288 $1,288

$706 ฿23.8K

82.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

57.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.5 $67.5

$58.6 ฿1,969

15.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.09 $49.09

$35.36 ฿1,189

38.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$115 ฿3,883

-12.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$83.7 ฿2,816

38.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 $1,238

$626 ฿21.0K

97.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 $1,079

$445 ฿15.0K

142.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,388 $2,388

$2,040 ฿68.6K

17.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 $1,543

$1,492 ฿50.2K

3.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,861 $3,861

$3,483 ฿117.1K

10.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,893 $1,893

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-26.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,611 $3,611

$500 ฿16.8K

622.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.33

20.64%

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

Last update for Iowa City, IA: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Iowa City, IA and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays 622% 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: $75.0 in Iowa City, IA vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $289 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

Iowa City, IA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 622% higher in Iowa City, IA, 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: $1,238 in Iowa City, IA versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 37% less than in Iowa City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,288 in Iowa City, IA versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,319 in Iowa City, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Iowa City, IA. 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 Iowa City, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Iowa City, IA 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 85% less than in Iowa City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.