Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,248 in Manhattan, KS, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
Learn more

Manhattan, KS Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,248

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,248 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Manhattan, KS $2,248
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,250 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Manhattan, KS $3,250
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,252 in Manhattan, KS versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Manhattan, KS $4,252
Phuket $3,154

Living in Manhattan, KS is roughly 76% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manhattan, KS is 65% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 $14.90

$4.47 ฿151

233.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$32.41 ฿1,094

151.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$8.81 ฿297

38.59%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$2.83 ฿95.4

91.87%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$0.87 ฿29.42

134.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.49 ฿16.66

197.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.56 ฿86.3

91.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$3.68 ฿124

151.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.66 ฿56.0

-43.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.46 ฿49.32

125.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$1.50 ฿50.5

300.67%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$2.09 ฿70.5

118.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$19.07 ฿643

-39.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$3.30 ฿111

158.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$10.91 ฿368

37.03%

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$2.93 ฿98.9

129.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.69 ฿57.0

27.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$2.25 ฿75.8

160.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.08 ฿70.1

102.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.51 ฿51.0

127.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.38 ฿46.54

178.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.07 ฿35.97

71.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.52 ฿17.51

396.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 $9.02

$4.20 ฿142

114.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.94 $16.94

$18.79 ฿634

-9.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.82 ฿61.5

-6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.84 ฿95.9

-9.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$56.7 ฿1,912

7.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.02 ฿102

61.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.02 ฿34.34

78.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.66 $34.66

$3.69 ฿125

839.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.47 ฿49.78

-42.18%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

4.50%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-3.43%

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

$147 $147

$96.4 ฿3,252

52.60%

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

$46.90 $46.90

$11.26 ฿380

316.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$16.85 ฿569

292.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.0 $76.0

$67.2 ฿2,269

13.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$7.50 ฿253

96.67%

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

$814 $814

$476 ฿16.1K

71.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K $11.3K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

0.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.85 $47.85

$62.4 ฿2,105

-23.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 $35.46

$28.41 ฿959

24.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$94.3 ฿3,182

-3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$85.8 ฿2,896

35.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 $900

$716 ฿24.2K

25.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$491 ฿16.6K

103.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-24.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 $1,412

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-1.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,514 $1,514

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-63.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,504 $1,504

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-50.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,407 $3,407

$502 ฿17.0K

578.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

5.57

13.64%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 50.8% $507

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$402 17.9%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 33.7% $135

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$278 12.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 56.2% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$260 11.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 52.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$131 5.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 6.8% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$106 4.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 22.1% $23

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 5.4% $4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Manhattan, KS and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manhattan, KS pays about 6.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $81 in Manhattan, KS vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

11:03 11:03 AM

13 h ahead of Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Manhattan, KS Phuket 14,560 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Manhattan, KS
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

Manhattan, KS vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Manhattan, KS is about 6.8 times higher, 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: $900 in Manhattan, KS versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $814 in Manhattan, KS versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Manhattan, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,248 in Manhattan, KS, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Manhattan, KS. 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, Manhattan, KS and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Manhattan, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.