Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton, DE and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton, DE and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,671 in Milton, DE versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,855 in Milton, DE versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,040 in Milton, DE versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Milton, DE is roughly 112% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Milton, DE is 99% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.86 $18.86

$4.56 ฿149

313.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$46.63 ฿1,527

59.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 $10.85

$8.47 ฿277

28.10%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$3.03 ฿99.1

72.61%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$0.69 ฿22.57

260.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.37 ฿11.98

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.49 ฿81.5

136.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$3.66 ฿120

87.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.18 ฿71.4

-54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.90 ฿62.3

80.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.20 ฿72.0

92.73%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$2.22 ฿72.8

85.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$19.99 ฿655

-38.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$3.66 ฿120

207.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$13.25 ฿434

14.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$3.23 ฿106

49.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.70 ฿55.6

-4.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.39 ฿78.4

74.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.08 ฿68.0

125.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.59 ฿52.1

81.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.48 ฿48.58

87.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.03 ฿33.73

104.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.52 ฿16.93

323.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.53 $9.53

$4.25 ฿139

124.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 $15.18

$18.79 ฿615

-19.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.76 ฿57.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.76 ฿90.3

18.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.36 ฿44.56

44.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 $60.6

$11.36 ฿372

433.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.14 ฿103

13.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.04 ฿33.92

59.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.74 $29.74

$13.77 ฿451

115.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.34 ฿44.03

-38.06%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$27.7K ฿906.4K

6.75%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-25.75%

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

$184 $184

$124 ฿4,048

48.75%

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

$52.8 $52.8

$13.52 ฿443

290.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$18.69 ฿612

259.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.44 $43.44

$61.8 ฿2,025

-29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.02 $40.02

$17.25 ฿565

132.00%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 $13.71

$9.14 ฿299

50.00%

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

$1,286 $1,286

$703 ฿23.0K

83.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$15.9K ฿519.8K

50.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$59.5 ฿1,947

-14.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 $40.16

$35.07 ฿1,149

14.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 $85.2

$115 ฿3,775

-26.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$84.1 ฿2,752

35.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$619 ฿20.3K

159.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 $1,363

$433 ฿14.2K

215.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,633 $2,633

$2,062 ฿67.5K

27.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 $2,219

$1,511 ฿49.5K

46.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,719 $2,719

$3,646 ฿119.4K

-25.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,356 $2,356

$2,626 ฿86.0K

-10.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,911 $3,911

$507 ฿16.6K

671.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.33

22.14%

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

Last update for Milton, DE: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Milton, DE and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milton, DE pays 671% 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: $74.0 in Milton, DE vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $293 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

Milton, DE vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Milton, DE pays 671% 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: $1,604 in Milton, DE versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $74.0 in Milton, DE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $2,671 in Milton, DE, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Milton, DE. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Milton, DE, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Milton, DE 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 112% less than in Milton, DE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.