Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moline, IL and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,195 in Moline, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Moline, IL, United States
Phuket, Thailand
Moline, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,195
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,195 per month in Moline, IL vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Moline, IL $2,195
  • Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,245 per month in Moline, IL vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Moline, IL $3,245
  • Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $4,295 per month in Moline, IL vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Moline, IL $4,295
  • Phuket $3,154

Moline, IL costs about 72% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Moline, IL sits 61% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Moline, IL
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.20 $20.20
$4.47 ฿151
351.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.6 $90.6
$32.41 ฿1,094
179.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.34 $8.34
$8.81 ฿297
-5.33%
Cappuccino
$5.07 $5.07
$2.83 ฿95.5
79.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 $2.68
$0.87 ฿29.43
208.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 $1.46
$0.49 ฿16.67
197.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.04 $4.04
$2.56 ฿86.4
57.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 $3.89
$3.68 ฿124
5.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Moline, IL
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.96 $0.96
$1.66 ฿56.0
-42.17%
White Bread (500g)
$3.70 $3.70
$1.46 ฿49.35
153.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.17 $5.17
$1.50 ฿50.6
244.67%
Eggs
$3.32 $3.32
$2.09 ฿70.5
58.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.44 $13.44
$19.07 ฿644
-29.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.72 $11.72
$3.30 ฿111
255.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.75 $15.75
$10.91 ฿368
44.36%
Apples (1kg)
$4.97 $4.97
$2.93 ฿99.0
69.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 $1.62
$1.69 ฿57.1
-4.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.94 $3.94
$2.25 ฿75.8
75.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.94 $4.94
$2.08 ฿70.1
137.50%
Potato (1kg)
$2.71 $2.71
$1.51 ฿51.0
79.47%
Onion (1kg)
$2.72 $2.72
$1.38 ฿46.56
97.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.25 $2.25
$1.07 ฿35.99
110.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 $2.66
$0.52 ฿17.52
411.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.97 $13.97
$4.20 ฿142
232.62%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.26 $15.26
$18.79 ฿634
-18.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.82 ฿61.5
-7.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 $1.82
$2.84 ฿95.9
-35.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Moline, IL
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.45 ฿49.03
-26.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.05 $32.05
$56.7 ฿1,913
-43.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 $3.17
$3.02 ฿102
4.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 $1.37
$1.02 ฿34.36
34.31%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.24 $25.24
$3.69 ฿125
584.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.47 ฿49.81
-23.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K $35.6K
$26.8K ฿904.3K
33.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K $23.9K
$26.7K ฿901.3K
-10.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moline, IL
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$191 $191
$96.4 ฿3,254
98.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.2 $69.2
$11.26 ฿380
514.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.0 $60.0
$16.85 ฿569
255.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Moline, IL
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.55 $49.55
$67.2 ฿2,270
-26.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$39.03 $39.03
$10.73 ฿362
263.75%
Cinema Ticket
$17.91 $17.91
$7.50 ฿253
138.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Moline, IL
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,836 $1,836
$476 ฿16.1K
285.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.9K $23.9K
$11.3K ฿380.4K
111.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Moline, IL
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.0 $67.0
$62.4 ฿2,106
7.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.0 $52.0
$28.41 ฿959
83.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.5 $92.5
$94.3 ฿3,184
-1.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 $79.6
$85.8 ฿2,898
-7.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Moline, IL
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$967 $967
$716 ฿24.2K
35.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$921 $921
$491 ฿16.6K
87.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,410 $1,410
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-26.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,351 $1,351
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-5.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,526 $1,526
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-63.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,522 $1,522
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-50.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Moline, IL
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿17.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.56
5.57
-0.18%

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

Last update for Moline, IL: 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
Moline, IL
$921
Phuket
$491 46.7% $430
Groceries & Markets
Moline, IL
$399
Phuket
$266 33.2% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Moline, IL
$320
Phuket
$124 61.1% $196
Eating Out
Moline, IL
$292
Phuket
$122 58.3% $170
Clothing & Footwear
Moline, IL
$131
Phuket
$122 7% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Moline, IL
$85
Phuket
$82 3.7% $3.1
Getting Around
Moline, IL
$46
Phuket
$71 52.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $967 in Moline, IL 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Moline, IL versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Moline, IL
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
17:54 5:54 PM
05:54 5:54 AM
12 h ahead of Moline, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
42,985
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Moline, IL Phuket 14,450 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Moline, IL
  • 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
Moline, IL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Moline, IL or Phuket?
Moline, IL costs about 72% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Moline, IL and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,292 per month in Moline, IL and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Moline, IL or Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $967 in Moline, IL.
How do dining costs compare in Moline, IL and in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Moline, IL and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Moline, IL compared to Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,195 in Moline, IL and $1,278 in Phuket. That makes Phuket about 42% cheaper.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Moline, IL or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Moline, IL at $2,195. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Moline, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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.

Moline, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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