Cost of Living Comparison Between Joliet, IL and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Joliet, IL and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,606 in Joliet, IL versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,803 in Joliet, IL versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,000 in Joliet, IL versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Joliet, IL is roughly 112% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Joliet, IL is 95% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.04 $19.04

$4.63 ฿151

311.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$46.84 ฿1,523

62.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$8.84 ฿287

25.11%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.00 ฿97.4

68.00%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$0.74 ฿24.11

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.37 ฿11.88

435.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.44 ฿79.3

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 $6.84

$3.61 ฿117

89.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.26 ฿73.5

-53.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.84 ฿59.8

92.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.24 ฿73.0

89.73%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$2.32 ฿75.3

84.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$19.67 ฿639

-38.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.53 $11.53

$3.65 ฿119

215.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 $15.30

$13.10 ฿426

16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.39 ฿110

41.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.64 ฿53.4

-4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.41 ฿78.5

73.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$2.03 ฿66.0

125.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.56 ฿50.6

80.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.50 ฿48.66

93.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.02 ฿33.30

97.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.49 ฿15.91

338.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.65 $9.65

$4.45 ฿145

116.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 $14.19

$18.88 ฿614

-24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.78 ฿57.7

4.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.75 ฿89.5

20.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.40 ฿45.54

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.12 ฿101

9.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.00 ฿32.48

67.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.04 $29.04

$14.09 ฿458

106.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.35 ฿43.93

-38.52%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

8.65%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-23.32%

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

$186 $186

$125 ฿4,063

48.68%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$13.57 ฿441

287.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$18.52 ฿602

257.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.53 $43.53

$61.5 ฿1,999

-29.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$13.69 $13.69

$9.19 ฿299

48.97%

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

$1,302 $1,302

$698 ฿22.7K

86.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

50.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 $50.7

$57.8 ฿1,878

-12.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 $40.04

$35.24 ฿1,146

13.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 $87.1

$113 ฿3,677

-22.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$86.4 ฿2,808

27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$616 ฿20.0K

156.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 $1,351

$446 ฿14.5K

202.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,633 $2,633

$2,048 ฿66.6K

28.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 $2,191

$1,492 ฿48.5K

46.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,787 $2,787

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-26.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-8.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

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 Joliet, IL: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,578 in Joliet, IL and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Joliet, IL vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $292 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

Joliet, IL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Joliet, IL and Phuket differ by about 112% in total monthly costs ($2,606 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,909 in Joliet, IL and $1,847 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: $1,578 in Joliet, IL versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,302 in Joliet, IL versus $698 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 $47.00 versus $76.0 in Joliet, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,606 in Joliet, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Joliet, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Joliet, IL 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 112% less than in Joliet, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.