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: $2,517 in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,734 in Mountain Home, ID versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,950 in Mountain Home, ID versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Mountain Home, ID is roughly 104% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mountain Home, ID is 84% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.43 $22.43

$4.41 ฿147

408.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 $85.5

$32.26 ฿1,077

165.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 $11.81

$8.93 ฿298

32.25%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$2.90 ฿96.6

103.45%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$0.88 ฿29.38

228.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.48 ฿16.06

343.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 $5.53

$2.35 ฿78.5

135.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 $7.63

$3.72 ฿124

105.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.87 ฿62.3

-47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.47 ฿48.94

140.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.55 ฿51.8

187.10%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$2.10 ฿70.1

95.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 $12.69

$19.59 ฿654

-35.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$3.42 ฿114

242.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.92 $16.92

$11.38 ฿380

48.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.98 ฿99.6

71.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.68 ฿56.2

-5.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.21 ฿73.7

94.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.16 ฿72.1

112.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.52 ฿50.9

86.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.34 ฿44.67

115.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.13 ฿37.67

94.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.55 ฿18.24

323.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$4.26 ฿142

137.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$19.09 ฿637

-22.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.78 ฿59.4

7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.78 ฿92.9

21.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.23 ฿74.4

-11.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.03 ฿101

4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.02 ฿34.15

52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.04 $28.04

$3.89 ฿130

620.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.49 ฿49.77

-28.86%

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

$33.8K $33.8K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

27.23%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

-4.77%

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

$200 $200

$102 ฿3,420

94.97%

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

$56.9 $56.9

$11.33 ฿378

402.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$17.40 ฿581

303.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.90 $42.90

$52.1 ฿1,738

-17.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$15.50 $15.50

$7.69 ฿257

101.56%

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

$1,256 $1,256

$561 ฿18.7K

124.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

94.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$63.0 ฿2,104

-7.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.19 $43.19

$29.52 ฿986

46.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 $98.4

$98.0 ฿3,272

0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$88.5 ฿2,954

25.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 $1,588

$738 ฿24.6K

115.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 $1,235

$482 ฿16.1K

155.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,542 $2,542

$2,107 ฿70.3K

20.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,129 $2,129

$1,226 ฿40.9K

73.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,615 $2,615

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-27.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,398 $2,398

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-7.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

5.57

9.87%

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

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,588 in Mountain Home, ID and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Mountain Home, ID vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $274 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, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,776 in Mountain Home, ID and $1,847 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: $1,588 in Mountain Home, ID versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Mountain Home, ID. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,517 per month in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 104% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,517 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 104% less than in Mountain Home, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.