Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modesto, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,708 in Modesto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Modesto, CA
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Modesto, CA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,708

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,708 per month in Modesto, CA vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Modesto, CA $2,708
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,910 per month in Modesto, CA vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Modesto, CA $3,910
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $5,112 per month in Modesto, CA vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Modesto, CA $5,112
Phuket $3,154

Modesto, CA costs about 112% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Modesto, CA sits 99% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.19 $15.19

$4.47 ฿151

239.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$32.41 ฿1,094

144.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.81 ฿297

0.79%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$2.83 ฿95.4

90.46%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$0.87 ฿29.42

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.49 ฿16.66

222.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.56 ฿86.3

98.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.68 ฿124

93.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.66 ฿56.0

-36.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.46 ฿49.32

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.50 ฿50.5

172.67%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$2.09 ฿70.5

165.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 $12.89

$19.07 ฿643

-32.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$3.30 ฿111

304.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 $19.65

$10.91 ฿368

80.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.93 ฿98.9

83.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.69 ฿57.0

18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.25 ฿75.8

146.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.08 ฿70.1

162.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.51 ฿51.0

133.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.38 ฿46.54

112.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.07 ฿35.97

127.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.52 ฿17.51

390.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$4.20 ฿142

175.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$18.79 ฿634

-18.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.82 ฿61.5

3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.84 ฿95.9

17.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.45 ฿49.00

35.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.49 $40.49

$56.7 ฿1,912

-28.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$3.02 ฿102

13.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.02 ฿34.34

199.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.56 $30.56

$3.69 ฿125

728.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.47 ฿49.78

-2.72%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

37.89%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

-0.11%

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

$257 $257

$96.4 ฿3,252

166.73%

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

$48.45 $48.45

$11.26 ฿380

330.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 $68.6

$16.85 ฿569

307.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.85 $37.85

$67.2 ฿2,269

-43.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 $14.77

$10.73 ฿362

37.65%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 $11.21

$7.50 ฿253

49.47%

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

$1,836 $1,836

$476 ฿16.1K

285.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

260.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.86 $47.86

$62.4 ฿2,105

-23.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.21 $39.21

$28.41 ฿959

38.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 $95.1

$94.3 ฿3,182

0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$85.8 ฿2,896

41.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$716 ฿24.2K

81.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 $1,359

$491 ฿16.6K

176.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-5.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,431 ฿48.3K

50.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,619 $3,619

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-13.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,962 $2,962

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-2.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,071 $4,071

$502 ฿17.0K

710.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

5.57

9.52%

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

Last update for Modesto, CA: 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

Modesto, CA

$1.4K 50.2%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 63.9% $868

Groceries & Markets

Modesto, CA

$442 16.3%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 39.7% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Modesto, CA

$374 13.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 66.7% $250

Eating Out

Modesto, CA

$269 9.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 54.8% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Modesto, CA

$136 5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 10.7% $15

Getting Around

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 5.4% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Modesto, CA

$60 2.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 36.4% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,302 in Modesto, CA 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 Modesto, CA are about 8.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Modesto, CA versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $442 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

09:01 9:01 AM

15 h ahead of Modesto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,266

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 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 = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Modesto, CA Phuket 13,510 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Modesto, CA
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

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

Modesto, CA costs about 112% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,062 per month in Modesto, CA 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 $1,302 in Modesto, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,708 in Modesto, CA and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 53% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Modesto, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Modesto, CA at $2,708. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Modesto, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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