Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jefferson City, MO and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Jefferson City, MO
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Jefferson City, MO Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Jefferson City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,853

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Jefferson City, MO $1,853
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,907 in Jefferson City, MO versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Jefferson City, MO $2,907
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Jefferson City, MO versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Jefferson City, MO $3,962
Phuket $2,867

Living in Jefferson City, MO is roughly 53% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jefferson City, MO is 37% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 $15.07

$4.58 ฿153

229.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.75 $40.75

$32.48 ฿1,086

25.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.55 ฿286

16.61%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$2.72 ฿91.0

96.32%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$0.94 ฿31.25

117.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.49 ฿16.39

351.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.59 ฿86.6

108.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 $6.67

$3.83 ฿128

74.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.74 ฿58.1

-50.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.43 ฿47.82

135.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.53 ฿51.0

189.54%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$2.17 ฿72.7

92.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$19.15 ฿640

-76.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 $9.94

$3.30 ฿110

201.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$11.14 ฿372

19.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.95 ฿98.5

49.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.68 ฿56.1

-6.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.30 ฿76.8

87.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.13 ฿71.3

101.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.53 ฿51.1

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.36 ฿45.55

143.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.12 ฿37.44

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.55 ฿18.24

252.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 $8.12

$4.26 ฿142

90.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 $12.34

$18.19 ฿608

-32.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.74 ฿58.2

11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.79 ฿93.3

38.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.22 ฿74.1

37.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.91 ฿97.3

-12.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.01 ฿33.79

20.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.1 $61.1

$3.83 ฿128

1496.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.49 ฿49.85

-42.95%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

33.02%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-7.04%

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

$201 $201

$99.4 ฿3,321

102.07%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$11.28 ฿377

489.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$17.36 ฿580

305.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$7.57 ฿253

100.26%

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

$1,192 $1,192

$558 ฿18.7K

113.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

85.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$62.9 ฿2,102

-20.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.77 $43.77

$28.58 ฿955

53.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$96.1 ฿3,213

7.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$88.1 ฿2,943

43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 $880

$729 ฿24.4K

20.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 $705

$460 ฿15.4K

53.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 $1,777

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-15.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$1,222 ฿40.8K

30.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 $1,541

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-55.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-30.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,918 $1,918

$493 ฿16.5K

289.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

5.57

17.77%

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

Last update for Jefferson City, MO: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jefferson City, MO

$705 38.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 34.7% $245

Groceries & Markets

Jefferson City, MO

$341 18.4%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 21.6% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jefferson City, MO

$338 18.2%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 62.1% $210

Eating Out

Jefferson City, MO

$272 14.7%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 55.4% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Jefferson City, MO

$146 7.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 14.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Jefferson City, MO

$30 * 1.6%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 122% $37

Getting Around

Jefferson City, MO

$21 * 1.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 86.7% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $880 in Jefferson City, MO and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jefferson City, MO pays 289% 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: $41.00 in Jefferson City, MO vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jefferson City, MO

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:17 4:17 AM

16:17 4:17 PM

12 h ahead of Jefferson City, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,079

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Jefferson City, MO Phuket 14,730 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Jefferson City, MO
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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 289% higher in Jefferson City, MO, 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: $880 in Jefferson City, MO versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,192 in Jefferson City, MO versus $558 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 $32.00 versus $41.00 in Jefferson City, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Jefferson City, 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 Jefferson City, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Jefferson City, 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 53% less than in Jefferson City, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.