Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milwaukee, WI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Milwaukee, WI
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Milwaukee, WI Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,307

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Milwaukee, WI $2,307
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Milwaukee, WI $3,389
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,471 in Milwaukee, WI versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Milwaukee, WI $4,471
Phuket $3,154

Living in Milwaukee, WI is roughly 80% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Milwaukee, WI is 69% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 $20.23

$4.47 ฿151

352.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$32.41 ฿1,094

133.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 $9.95

$8.81 ฿297

12.94%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$2.83 ฿95.4

74.91%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$0.87 ฿29.42

222.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.49 ฿16.66

302.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.56 ฿86.3

138.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$3.68 ฿124

86.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.66 ฿56.0

-49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.46 ฿49.32

137.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$1.50 ฿50.5

250.00%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$2.09 ฿70.5

122.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 $10.00

$19.07 ฿643

-47.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 $13.93

$3.30 ฿111

322.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 $16.82

$10.91 ฿368

54.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.93 ฿98.9

72.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.69 ฿57.0

-10.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.25 ฿75.8

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$2.08 ฿70.1

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.51 ฿51.0

72.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.38 ฿46.54

84.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.07 ฿35.97

118.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.52 ฿17.51

336.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.75 $10.75

$4.20 ฿142

155.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$18.79 ฿634

-17.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.82 ฿61.5

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.84 ฿95.9

18.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.45 ฿49.00

92.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 $72.8

$56.7 ฿1,912

28.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.02 ฿102

-5.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.02 ฿34.34

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.83 $20.83

$3.69 ฿125

464.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.47 ฿49.78

-32.65%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

27.90%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-4.07%

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

$202 $202

$96.4 ฿3,252

109.42%

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

$67.3 $67.3

$11.26 ฿380

497.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$16.85 ฿569

319.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.90 $37.90

$67.2 ฿2,269

-43.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 $18.66

$10.73 ฿362

73.90%

Cinema Ticket

$14.33 $14.33

$7.50 ฿253

91.07%

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

$1,813 $1,813

$476 ฿16.1K

281.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

110.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$62.4 ฿2,105

-11.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.82 $40.82

$28.41 ฿959

43.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 $92.5

$94.3 ฿3,182

-1.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$85.8 ฿2,896

36.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$716 ฿24.2K

124.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 $946

$491 ฿16.6K

92.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,400 $3,400

$1,927 ฿65.0K

76.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 $1,464

$1,431 ฿48.3K

2.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,028 $3,028

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-27.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,625 $1,625

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-46.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,671 $3,671

$502 ฿17.0K

630.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

5.57

19.39%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Milwaukee, WI

$946 41%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 48.1% $455

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$408 17.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 34.7% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$340 14.7%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 63.4% $215

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$314 13.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 61.3% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 11.3% $16

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$95 4.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 25.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$67 2.9%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 23.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milwaukee, WI pays about 7.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Milwaukee, WI vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

17:01 5:01 PM

13 h ahead of Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Milwaukee, WI Phuket 14,320 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Milwaukee, WI
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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

Milwaukee, WI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI and $1,278 in Phuket, so Phuket is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Milwaukee, WI is about 7.3 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: $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,307 per month in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 22% less than in Milwaukee, WI. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Milwaukee, WI. 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.