Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Ángeles and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Ángeles: $906 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Los Ángeles

🇨🇱 Chile

$906

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Los Ángeles vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Los Ángeles $906
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,361 per month in Los Ángeles vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Los Ángeles $1,361
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,816 per month in Los Ángeles vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Los Ángeles $1,816
Phuket $3,154

Los Ángeles is about 29% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Los Ángeles and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Los Ángeles 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 CLP 11.9K

$4.47 ฿151

168.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.27 CLP 24.9K

$32.41 ฿1,092

-22.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CLP 9,839

$8.81 ฿297

13.05%

Cappuccino

$2.06 CLP 2,030

$2.83 ฿95.3

-27.21%

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

$1.48 CLP 1,465

$0.87 ฿29.37

70.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,463

$0.49 ฿16.64

202.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 CLP 2,572

$2.56 ฿86.2

1.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CLP 3,067

$3.68 ฿124

-15.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 CLP 1,182

$1.66 ฿55.9

-27.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CLP 2,619

$1.46 ฿49.25

81.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 CLP 2,819

$1.50 ฿50.4

90.67%

Eggs

$4.12 CLP 4,068

$2.09 ฿70.4

97.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 CLP 8,090

$19.07 ฿642

-57.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 CLP 10.4K

$3.30 ฿111

220.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 CLP 13.8K

$10.91 ฿368

28.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 CLP 2,614

$2.93 ฿98.7

-9.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,576

$1.69 ฿56.9

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CLP 2,651

$2.25 ฿75.7

19.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 2,153

$2.08 ฿70.0

4.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,508

$1.51 ฿50.9

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 CLP 1,622

$1.38 ฿46.47

18.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 CLP 1,347

$1.07 ฿35.91

27.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CLP 1,112

$0.52 ฿17.49

117.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 CLP 5,337

$4.20 ฿142

28.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.13 CLP 4,082

$18.79 ฿633

-78.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 CLP 964

$1.82 ฿61.4

-46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 CLP 488

$1.45 ฿48.93

-66.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 CLP 2,017

$3.02 ฿102

-32.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CLP 1,215

$1.47 ฿49.70

-16.33%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

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

$121 CLP 119.8K

$96.4 ฿3,247

25.87%

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.87 CLP 19.6K

$16.85 ฿568

17.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 CLP 80.3K

$67.2 ฿2,266

20.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.17 CLP 10.0K

$10.73 ฿361

-5.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 CLP 4,296

$7.50 ฿253

-42.00%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 CLP 267.7K

$716 ฿24.1K

-62.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 CLP 216.5K

$491 ฿16.5K

-55.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 CLP 434.3K

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-77.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 CLP 337.2K

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-76.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Los Ángeles: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Ángeles

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Los Ángeles

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Ángeles

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Los Ángeles

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Los Ángeles

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Los Ángeles

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Los Ángeles

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $271 in Los Ángeles versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Los Ángeles versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $270 in Los Ángeles vs $266 in Phuket – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Los Ángeles

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:18 5:18 AM

15:18 3:18 PM

10 h ahead of Los Ángeles

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,023

79,308

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.13 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 987 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,102 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Los Ángeles Phuket 16,600 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Ángeles
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

Los Ángeles vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 41% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,360 per month in Los Ángeles and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $271 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $906 in Los Ángeles and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Los Ángeles about 29% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Los Ángeles and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $906 in Los Ángeles and $1,278 in Phuket. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $906 in Los Ángeles to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.