Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Little Rock, AR and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,150 in Little Rock, AR, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Little Rock, AR
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Little Rock, AR Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Little Rock, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,150

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Little Rock, AR 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 Little Rock, AR and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,150 per month in Little Rock, AR vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Little Rock, AR $2,150
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $3,136 per month in Little Rock, AR vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Little Rock, AR $3,136
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $4,122 per month in Little Rock, AR vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Little Rock, AR $4,122
Phuket $2,845

Little Rock, AR costs about 78% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Little Rock, AR sits 59% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.69 $16.69

$4.40 ฿147

279.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 $76.5

$32.26 ฿1,078

137.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 $11.14

$8.76 ฿293

27.17%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$2.83 ฿94.5

80.21%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$0.90 ฿30.14

224.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.47 ฿15.56

419.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.61 $5.61

$2.55 ฿85.2

120.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 $6.62

$3.83 ฿128

72.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.73 ฿57.7

-38.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.47 ฿49.11

85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.51 ฿50.6

82.12%

Eggs

$3.37 $3.37

$2.17 ฿72.7

55.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$19.70 ฿658

-48.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.06 $12.06

$3.34 ฿112

261.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.58 $22.58

$11.16 ฿373

102.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.85 ฿95.1

78.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.70 ฿56.9

-13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.19 ฿73.3

106.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.05 ฿68.4

90.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.45 ฿48.57

94.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.38 ฿46.16

83.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.07 ฿35.69

79.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.51 ฿16.91

264.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.26 $9.26

$4.26 ฿142

117.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 $13.25

$18.58 ฿621

-28.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.78 ฿59.7

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.85 ฿95.2

-39.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.26 ฿75.6

-38.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.10 $36.10

$22.10 ฿738

63.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.01 ฿101

-15.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.06 ฿35.34

44.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.86 $23.86

$3.86 ฿129

518.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.45 ฿48.45

-35.86%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

2.19%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-2.99%

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

$219 $219

$96.4 ฿3,221

127.53%

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

$59.2 $59.2

$11.04 ฿369

435.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.8 $69.8

$17.14 ฿573

307.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.32 $28.32

$52.2 ฿1,744

-45.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.16 ฿373

26.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.10 $13.10

$7.81 ฿261

67.73%

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

$1,051 $1,051

$556 ฿18.6K

89.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K $19.2K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

65.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 $51.5

$64.2 ฿2,146

-19.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.74 $38.74

$28.69 ฿959

35.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 $84.0

$95.4 ฿3,187

-11.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$88.0 ฿2,940

72.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 $1,145

$737 ฿24.6K

55.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$883 $883

$462 ฿15.5K

90.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 $1,535

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-26.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 $1,321

$1,201 ฿40.1K

10.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 $1,912

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-45.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,325 $1,325

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-47.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,988 $3,988

$501 ฿16.7K

696.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

5.57

21.18%

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

Last update for Little Rock, AR: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Little Rock, AR

$883 41.1%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 47.6% $420

Groceries & Markets

Little Rock, AR

$375 17.5%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 28.4% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Little Rock, AR

$348 16.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 64.2% $224

Eating Out

Little Rock, AR

$291 13.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 58.3% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Little Rock, AR

$147 6.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 15.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Little Rock, AR

$55 2.5%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 24.3% $13

Getting Around

Little Rock, AR

$52 2.4%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 23.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,145 in Little Rock, AR versus $737 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 697% higher in Little Rock, AR, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Little Rock, AR versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $375 vs $269 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Little Rock, AR

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

20:57 8:57 PM

12 h ahead of Little Rock, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,591

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Highest

Between locations

Little Rock, AR Phuket 15,140 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Little Rock, AR
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

Little Rock, AR vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,150 in Little Rock, AR, $1,208 in Phuket – roughly 78% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,225 per month in Little Rock, AR and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,051 per month in Little Rock, AR and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Little Rock, AR, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Little Rock, AR at $2,150. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Little Rock, AR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $2,150 in Little Rock, AR. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Little Rock, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.