Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Midland, TX and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,065 in Midland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Midland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,065

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,065 per month in Midland, TX vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Midland, TX $2,065
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Midland, TX vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Midland, TX $2,941
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Midland, TX vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Midland, TX $3,818
Phuket $3,154

Midland, TX costs about 62% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Midland, TX sits 52% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 $16.09

$4.47 ฿151

259.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$32.41 ฿1,093

68.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$8.81 ฿297

13.85%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$2.83 ฿95.4

82.33%

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

$4.65 $4.65

$0.87 ฿29.41

434.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.49 ฿16.65

755.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.89 $9.89

$2.56 ฿86.3

286.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$3.68 ฿124

229.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.66 ฿55.9

-53.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.46 ฿49.31

132.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.50 ฿50.5

199.33%

Eggs

$2.98 $2.98

$2.09 ฿70.5

42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 $10.84

$19.07 ฿643

-43.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.69 ฿57.0

-33.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.07 ฿35.96

60.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.52 ฿17.51

292.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.17 $11.17

$4.20 ฿142

165.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$18.79 ฿634

-21.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.82 ฿61.5

-2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.45 ฿48.98

-13.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.28 $37.28

$56.7 ฿1,912

-34.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.47 ฿49.76

-41.50%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

0.48%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

-1.74%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

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

$53.9 $53.9

$11.26 ฿380

378.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$16.85 ฿568

322.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.36 $13.36

$67.2 ฿2,268

-80.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 $12.37

$7.50 ฿253

64.93%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 $79.1

$62.4 ฿2,104

26.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.36 $30.36

$28.41 ฿958

6.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 $148

$94.3 ฿3,181

57.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$85.8 ฿2,895

73.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 $1,713

$716 ฿24.2K

139.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 $1,166

$491 ฿16.6K

137.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,593 $2,593

$1,927 ฿65.0K

34.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$1,431 ฿48.3K

24.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,337 $2,337

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-44.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,863 $1,863

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-38.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,445 $5,445

$502 ฿16.9K

984.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

5.57

24.24%

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

Last update for Midland, TX: 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

Midland, TX

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Midland, TX

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Midland, TX

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Midland, TX

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Midland, TX

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Midland, TX

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Midland, TX

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,713 in Midland, TX versus $716 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 Midland, TX are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Midland, TX versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $181 in Midland, TX vs $266 in Phuket – so Midland, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Midland, TX

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

23:30 11:30 PM

13 h ahead of Midland, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,524

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 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Midland, TX Phuket 15,080 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Midland, TX
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

Midland, TX vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midland, TX costs about 62% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,098 per month in Midland, TX and $1,917 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 $716 there versus $1,713 in Midland, TX.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Midland, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 32% cheaper in Midland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Midland, TX at $2,065. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Midland, TX 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 $1,278 in Phuket to $2,065 in Midland, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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