Cost of Living Comparison Between Merced, CA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Merced, CA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,475 in Merced, CA versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,618 in Merced, CA versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,761 in Merced, CA versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Merced, CA is roughly 96% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Merced, CA is 85% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.29 $20.29

$4.70 ฿153

331.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.11 $40.11

$45.37 ฿1,482

-11.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 $11.72

$8.43 ฿275

39.03%

Cappuccino

$5.91 $5.91

$2.93 ฿95.6

101.71%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$0.69 ฿22.40

346.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.37 ฿11.99

448.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.09 $9.09

$2.41 ฿78.6

277.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.96 $9.96

$3.72 ฿122

167.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.23 ฿72.9

-47.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.83 ฿59.8

49.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.17 ฿70.8

52.07%

Eggs

$4.80 $4.80

$2.21 ฿72.3

117.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.80 $10.80

$19.74 ฿645

-45.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.45 $15.45

$3.63 ฿119

325.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 $17.27

$13.53 ฿442

27.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.28 ฿107

79.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.61 ฿52.6

58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.41 ฿78.6

-38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.08 ฿68.1

115.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.53 ฿49.93

37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.48 ฿48.36

116.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.99 ฿32.29

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.51 ฿16.67

445.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.27 $10.27

$4.41 ฿144

132.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$19.38 ฿633

-21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.78 ฿58.1

32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.71 ฿88.6

21.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.37 ฿44.79

7.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 $59.6

$11.39 ฿372

423.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.02 ฿98.6

2.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.99 ฿32.48

67.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.91 $26.91

$14.10 ฿461

90.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.36 ฿44.51

-9.56%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

5.89%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-17.82%

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

$273 $273

$122 ฿3,975

124.29%

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

$34.82 $34.82

$13.57 ฿443

156.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$18.31 ฿598

266.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 $33.49

$60.2 ฿1,967

-44.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.15 $14.15

$17.14 ฿560

-17.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 $15.73

$8.69 ฿284

81.01%

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

$1,942 $1,942

$693 ฿22.6K

180.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.4K $26.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

68.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$59.5 ฿1,944

-11.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.16 $44.16

$34.77 ฿1,136

27.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 $88.7

$115 ฿3,743

-22.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$83.3 ฿2,720

66.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 $1,641

$613 ฿20.0K

167.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 $1,073

$437 ฿14.3K

145.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,960 $1,960

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-6.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,894 $1,894

$1,509 ฿49.3K

25.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 $2,870

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-23.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,857 $2,857

$2,616 ฿85.4K

9.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,286 $3,286

$508 ฿16.6K

546.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

5.33

19.32%

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

Last update for Merced, CA: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Merced, CA and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Merced, CA pays 547% 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: $40.00 in Merced, CA vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $293, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Merced, CA and Phuket differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,475 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Merced, CA pays 547% 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: $1,641 in Merced, CA versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,942 in Merced, CA versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Merced, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,475 in Merced, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Merced, CA. 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, Merced, 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 96% less than in Merced, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.