Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Banos, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Banos, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Los Banos, CA versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,587 in Los Banos, CA versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Los Banos, CA is roughly 90% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Los Banos, CA is 80% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 $14.80

$4.70 ฿154

214.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 $79.5

$45.37 ฿1,489

75.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$8.43 ฿277

18.15%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$2.93 ฿96.1

66.89%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$0.69 ฿22.50

268.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.37 ฿12.04

424.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 $6.99

$2.41 ฿79.0

190.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.28 $7.28

$3.72 ฿122

95.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.23 ฿73.3

-57.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.83 ฿60.1

84.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.17 ฿71.1

40.09%

Eggs

$1.68 $1.68

$2.21 ฿72.6

-23.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 $8.42

$19.74 ฿648

-57.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 $7.40

$3.63 ฿119

103.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.43 $12.43

$13.53 ฿444

-8.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.28 ฿108

5.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.61 ฿52.9

-19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.41 ฿79.0

15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.08 ฿68.4

31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.53 ฿50.2

90.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.48 ฿48.58

66.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.99 ฿32.44

130.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.51 ฿16.74

384.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 $10.88

$4.41 ฿145

146.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$19.38 ฿636

-37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.78 ฿58.4

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.71 ฿89.0

-51.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.37 ฿44.99

49.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.02 ฿99.1

-14.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.99 ฿32.63

54.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.90 $28.90

$14.10 ฿463

104.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.36 ฿44.71

-16.91%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

28.76%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-3.79%

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

$220 $220

$122 ฿3,993

81.13%

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

$44.17 $44.17

$13.57 ฿445

225.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$18.31 ฿601

260.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.18 $43.18

$60.2 ฿1,976

-28.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$14.77 $14.77

$8.69 ฿285

69.97%

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

$1,305 $1,305

$693 ฿22.8K

88.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

50.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.89 $23.89

$59.5 ฿1,953

-59.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.34 $22.34

$34.77 ฿1,141

-35.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.5 $51.5

$115 ฿3,760

-55.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 $58.9

$83.3 ฿2,733

-29.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 $1,609

$613 ฿20.1K

162.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,353 $1,353

$437 ฿14.3K

209.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,616 $2,616

$2,094 ฿68.7K

24.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 $2,227

$1,509 ฿49.5K

47.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,631 $2,631

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-29.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,371 $2,371

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-9.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,555 $6,555

$508 ฿16.7K

1190.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

5.33

24.39%

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

Last update for Los Banos, CA: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Los Banos, CA and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 1190% 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: $80.0 in Los Banos, CA vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 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

Los Banos, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 90% lower than in Los Banos, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Los Banos, CA pays 1190% more on average, 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: $1,609 in Los Banos, CA versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Los Banos, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,410 per month in Los Banos, CA versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 90% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,410 in Los Banos, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Los Banos, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Los Banos, CA 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 90% less than in Los Banos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.