Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Pleasant, SC and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Pleasant, SC and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,977 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,253 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Mount Pleasant, SC is roughly 113% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mount Pleasant, SC is 102% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.28 $28.28

$4.70 ฿154

501.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$45.37 ฿1,489

74.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$8.43 ฿277

17.08%

Cappuccino

$5.00 $5.00

$2.93 ฿96.1

70.65%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$0.69 ฿22.50

250.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.37 ฿12.04

405.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.41 ฿79.0

151.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$3.72 ฿122

121.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.23 ฿73.3

-54.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.83 ฿60.1

113.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.17 ฿71.1

46.08%

Eggs

$4.47 $4.47

$2.21 ฿72.6

102.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 $13.73

$19.74 ฿648

-30.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$3.63 ฿119

311.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 $16.75

$13.53 ฿444

23.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$3.28 ฿108

68.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.61 ฿52.9

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$2.41 ฿79.0

166.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.08 ฿68.4

88.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.53 ฿50.2

141.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.48 ฿48.58

83.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.99 ฿32.44

73.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.51 ฿16.74

270.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.52 $7.52

$4.41 ฿145

70.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.67 $15.67

$19.38 ฿636

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.78 ฿58.4

2.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.71 ฿89.0

17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.37 ฿44.99

42.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.02 ฿99.1

0.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.99 ฿32.63

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.19 $20.19

$14.10 ฿463

43.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.36 ฿44.71

-41.91%

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

$33.7K $33.7K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

19.36%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-24.31%

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

$142 $142

$122 ฿3,993

16.52%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$13.57 ฿445

379.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$18.31 ฿601

290.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.79 $42.79

$60.2 ฿1,976

-28.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$12.99 $12.99

$8.69 ฿285

49.48%

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

$1,318 $1,318

$693 ฿22.8K

90.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

54.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.37 $48.37

$59.5 ฿1,953

-18.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.66 $35.66

$34.77 ฿1,141

2.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.7 $93.7

$115 ฿3,760

-18.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$83.3 ฿2,733

86.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 $1,612

$613 ฿20.1K

162.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$437 ฿14.3K

207.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,640 $2,640

$2,094 ฿68.7K

26.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,213 $2,213

$1,509 ฿49.5K

46.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,622 $2,622

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-30.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,277 $2,277

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-12.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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 Mount Pleasant, SC: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Mount Pleasant, SC and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Mount Pleasant, SC vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 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

Mount Pleasant, SC vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Pleasant, SC and Phuket differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($2,701 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,051 in Mount Pleasant, SC and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Mount Pleasant, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,701 per month in Mount Pleasant, SC versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,701 in Mount Pleasant, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mount Pleasant, SC. 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.

Safety-wise, Mount Pleasant, SC 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 113% less than in Mount Pleasant, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.