Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain Home, ID and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain Home, ID and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,531 in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,757 in Mountain Home, ID versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,982 in Mountain Home, ID versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Mountain Home, ID is roughly 107% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mountain Home, ID is 90% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.11 $19.11

$4.51 ฿147

323.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$46.62 ฿1,515

63.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$8.49 ฿276

31.57%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$3.08 ฿100

62.01%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$0.68 ฿22.07

279.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.36 ฿11.75

447.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.43 ฿78.8

149.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.63 ฿118

90.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.19 ฿71.1

-54.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.81 ฿59.0

97.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.23 ฿72.5

100.00%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$2.24 ฿72.7

82.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 $12.45

$19.60 ฿637

-36.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 $11.35

$3.72 ฿121

205.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 $15.49

$13.47 ฿438

15.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.36 ฿109

49.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.62 ฿52.5

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.41 ฿78.3

77.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.99 ฿64.6

144.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.53 ฿49.76

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.45 ฿47.19

100.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.01 ฿32.96

108.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.48 ฿15.73

356.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 $9.46

$4.27 ฿139

121.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$19.12 ฿621

-22.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.84 ฿59.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.74 ฿89.1

25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.42 ฿46.06

38.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.00 ฿97.6

15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.05 ฿34.00

56.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.10 $29.10

$13.90 ฿452

109.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.29 ฿41.94

-34.11%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

5.50%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-24.27%

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

$188 $188

$122 ฿3,964

54.12%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$13.93 ฿453

279.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$18.87 ฿613

254.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.38 $42.38

$61.3 ฿1,992

-30.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 $13.34

$8.89 ฿289

50.06%

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

$1,310 $1,310

$691 ฿22.5K

89.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$16.2K ฿525.2K

45.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$57.8 ฿1,878

-12.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.97 $39.97

$35.39 ฿1,150

12.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$113 ฿3,685

-24.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$83.0 ฿2,698

36.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$607 ฿19.7K

166.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 $1,327

$448 ฿14.6K

196.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,591 $2,591

$2,029 ฿66.0K

27.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,249 $2,249

$1,493 ฿48.5K

50.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,959 $2,959

$3,585 ฿116.5K

-17.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,340 $2,340

$2,585 ฿84.0K

-9.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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 Mountain Home, ID: June 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,618 in Mountain Home, ID and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Mountain Home, ID vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $292 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

Mountain Home, ID vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,797 in Mountain Home, ID and $1,835 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: $1,618 in Mountain Home, ID versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Mountain Home, ID. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,531 per month in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,223 in Phuket – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $2,531 in Mountain Home, ID, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. 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 Mountain Home, ID, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mountain Home, ID 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 107% less than in Mountain Home, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.