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: $2,582 in Joliet, IL versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,744 in Joliet, IL versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,907 in Joliet, IL versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Joliet, IL is roughly 105% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Joliet, IL is 92% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.64 $18.64

$4.56 ฿149

308.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$46.63 ฿1,519

62.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 $11.14

$8.47 ฿276

31.52%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$3.03 ฿98.6

67.00%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$0.69 ฿22.45

278.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.37 ฿11.92

451.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.49 ฿81.0

146.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.66 ฿119

86.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.18 ฿71.0

-52.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.90 ฿62.0

80.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.20 ฿71.6

98.18%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$2.22 ฿72.4

91.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 $12.11

$19.99 ฿651

-39.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 $11.26

$3.66 ฿119

207.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$13.25 ฿432

14.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.23 ฿105

48.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.70 ฿55.3

-4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.39 ฿78.0

74.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.08 ฿67.7

123.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.59 ฿51.8

83.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.48 ฿48.31

89.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.03 ฿33.54

102.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.52 ฿16.83

307.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$4.25 ฿138

131.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 $13.92

$18.79 ฿612

-25.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.76 ฿57.2

2.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.76 ฿89.8

22.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.36 ฿44.32

43.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.14 ฿102

11.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.04 ฿33.74

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.07 $29.07

$13.77 ฿448

111.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.34 ฿43.79

-36.57%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

5.57%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-24.60%

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

$190 $190

$124 ฿4,025

53.72%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$13.52 ฿440

297.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$18.69 ฿609

255.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.37 $42.37

$61.8 ฿2,013

-31.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 $13.72

$9.14 ฿298

50.11%

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

$1,287 $1,287

$703 ฿22.9K

83.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

48.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$59.5 ฿1,937

-13.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.78 $39.78

$35.07 ฿1,142

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$115 ฿3,754

-23.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$84.1 ฿2,737

31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$619 ฿20.1K

158.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 $1,351

$433 ฿14.1K

212.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,648 $2,648

$2,062 ฿67.2K

28.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,218 $2,218

$1,511 ฿49.2K

46.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 $2,762

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-24.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,464 $2,464

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-6.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,602 in Joliet, IL and $619 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 $382 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

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

Joliet, IL and Phuket differ by about 105% in total monthly costs ($2,582 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,873 in Joliet, IL and $1,892 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: $1,602 in Joliet, IL versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,287 in Joliet, IL versus $703 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 $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,582 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 105% less than in Joliet, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.