Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,931

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,931 per month in Madison, WI vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,931
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $4,224 per month in Madison, WI vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,224
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $5,517 per month in Madison, WI vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,517
Phuket $3,115

Madison, WI costs about 127% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Madison, WI sits 117% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$4.39 ฿148

353.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$32.31 ฿1,086

101.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 $13.17

$8.70 ฿293

51.38%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$2.72 ฿91.6

108.09%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$0.93 ฿31.28

224.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.50 ฿16.79

390.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 $6.62

$2.53 ฿85.1

161.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.72 $7.72

$3.63 ฿122

112.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.74 ฿58.5

-45.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.45 ฿48.77

118.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.50 ฿50.5

178.67%

Eggs

$3.72 $3.72

$2.17 ฿73.0

71.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$19.09 ฿642

-24.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 $12.15

$3.40 ฿114

257.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.36 $20.36

$10.90 ฿366

86.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.94 ฿98.9

56.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.69 ฿56.9

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.95 $4.95

$2.19 ฿73.8

126.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.12 ฿71.4

120.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.46 ฿49.03

78.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.37 ฿45.99

106.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.08 ฿36.17

92.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.55 ฿18.34

307.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$4.43 ฿149

145.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$18.25 ฿614

-13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.77 ฿59.6

51.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.88 ฿96.8

52.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.45 ฿48.66

33.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 $65.5

$54.9 ฿1,845

19.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.51 ฿50.9

158.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.78 ฿26.08

151.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.61 $44.61

$3.84 ฿129

1061.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.49 ฿50.0

-28.19%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$26.9K ฿903.7K

12.75%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.3K ฿885.7K

-3.18%

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

$266 $266

$97.8 ฿3,288

171.80%

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

$45.57 $45.57

$11.29 ฿380

303.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 $80.5

$17.19 ฿578

368.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$68.3 ฿2,297

-24.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.12 $10.12

$10.92 ฿367

-7.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$7.43 ฿250

97.85%

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

$1,594 $1,594

$530 ฿17.8K

200.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K $21.6K

$18.8K ฿631.4K

15.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 $63.4

$61.7 ฿2,073

2.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.65 $46.65

$28.25 ฿950

65.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$96.0 ฿3,228

12.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$86.8 ฿2,919

39.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 $1,723

$721 ฿24.2K

139.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$509 ฿17.1K

187.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,146 $3,146

$1,950 ฿65.6K

61.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 $2,438

$1,397 ฿47.0K

74.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,429 $4,429

$4,192 ฿140.9K

5.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

$3,298 ฿110.9K

-24.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,430 $4,430

$492 ฿16.5K

801.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

5.57

22.26%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Madison, WI

$1.5K 50%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 65.3% $956

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$416 14.2%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 35.9% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$392 13.4%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 67.8% $266

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$337 11.5%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 64.5% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$152 5.2%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 19.5% $30

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$87 3%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 24.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$81 2.8%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 2.7% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,723 in Madison, WI versus $721 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 in Madison, WI are about 9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Madison, WI versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

04:06 4:06 AM

13 h ahead of Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Madison, WI Phuket 14,290 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Madison, WI
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

Madison, WI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,931 in Madison, WI, $1,294 in Phuket – Phuket comes out roughly 56% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,396 per month in Madison, WI and $1,940 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,723 in Madison, WI.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,594 per month in Madison, WI and $530 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Madison, WI at $2,931. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madison, WI 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 $1,294 in Phuket to $2,931 in Madison, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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