Cost of Living Comparison Between Merrillville, IN and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Merrillville, IN and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,538 in Merrillville, IN versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,712 in Merrillville, IN versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,886 in Merrillville, IN versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Merrillville, IN is roughly 106% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Merrillville, IN is 90% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.55 $18.55

$4.63 ฿151

300.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$46.84 ฿1,532

38.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$8.84 ฿289

14.03%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$3.00 ฿98.0

69.33%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$0.74 ฿24.25

313.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.37 ฿11.95

481.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.44 ฿79.8

102.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 $6.92

$3.61 ฿118

91.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$2.26 ฿73.9

-65.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.84 ฿60.1

88.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.24 ฿73.4

100.00%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.32 ฿75.7

86.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 $10.04

$19.67 ฿643

-48.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.50 $12.50

$3.65 ฿119

242.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$13.10 ฿428

17.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.39 ฿111

70.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.64 ฿53.7

-29.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.41 ฿79.0

92.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.03 ฿66.4

137.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.56 ฿50.9

34.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.50 ฿48.94

41.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.02 ฿33.50

97.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$0.49 ฿16.00

453.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.42 $10.42

$4.45 ฿145

134.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$18.88 ฿617

-37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.78 ฿58.1

1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.75 ฿90.1

25.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.40 ฿45.81

45.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.12 ฿102

-11.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.00 ฿32.67

121.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.61 $20.61

$14.09 ฿461

46.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.35 ฿44.19

-40.00%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

11.18%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-20.25%

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

$186 $186

$125 ฿4,087

49.01%

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

$48.87 $48.87

$13.57 ฿444

260.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$18.52 ฿606

250.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.54 $42.54

$61.5 ฿2,010

-30.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$14.60 $14.60

$9.19 ฿300

58.87%

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

$1,834 $1,834

$698 ฿22.8K

162.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

56.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.67 $42.67

$57.8 ฿1,889

-26.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.66 $45.66

$35.24 ฿1,152

29.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.9 $78.9

$113 ฿3,699

-30.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$86.4 ฿2,825

21.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 $1,590

$616 ฿20.1K

158.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$446 ฿14.6K

197.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,623 $2,623

$2,048 ฿67.0K

28.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 $2,220

$1,492 ฿48.8K

48.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,048 $3,048

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-19.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,541 $2,541

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-4.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.33

22.89%

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

Last update for Merrillville, IN: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,590 in Merrillville, IN and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Merrillville, IN vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $292 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

Merrillville, IN vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Merrillville, IN and Phuket differ by about 106% in total monthly costs ($2,538 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,807 in Merrillville, IN and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,590 in Merrillville, IN versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Merrillville, IN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,538 per month in Merrillville, IN versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,538 in Merrillville, IN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Merrillville, IN. 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, Merrillville, IN 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 106% less than in Merrillville, IN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.