Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain Home, ID and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,606 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mountain Home, ID, United States
Phuket, Thailand
Mountain Home, ID
🇺🇸 United States
$2,606
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,606 in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Mountain Home, ID $2,606
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,849 in Mountain Home, ID versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Mountain Home, ID $3,849
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,091 in Mountain Home, ID versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Mountain Home, ID $5,091
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Mountain Home, ID is roughly 104% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mountain Home, ID is 92% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mountain Home, ID
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.70 $21.70
$4.47 ฿151
385.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.1 $85.1
$32.41 ฿1,093
162.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.44 $11.44
$8.81 ฿297
29.85%
Cappuccino
$4.57 $4.57
$2.83 ฿95.4
61.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 $2.62
$0.87 ฿29.41
201.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 $2.15
$0.49 ฿16.65
338.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.16 $6.16
$2.56 ฿86.3
140.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.87 $6.87
$3.68 ฿124
86.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mountain Home, ID
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.66 ฿55.9
-35.54%
White Bread (500g)
$3.52 $3.52
$1.46 ฿49.31
141.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.32 $4.32
$1.50 ฿50.5
188.00%
Eggs
$4.07 $4.07
$2.09 ฿70.5
94.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.09 $12.09
$19.07 ฿643
-36.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.72 $11.72
$3.30 ฿111
255.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.99 $16.99
$10.91 ฿368
55.73%
Apples (1kg)
$4.86 $4.86
$2.93 ฿98.9
65.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.69 ฿57.0
-5.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.27 $4.27
$2.25 ฿75.8
89.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.74 $4.74
$2.08 ฿70.0
127.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.83 $2.83
$1.51 ฿51.0
87.42%
Onion (1kg)
$2.94 $2.94
$1.38 ฿46.52
113.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.07 ฿35.96
105.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$0.52 ฿17.51
323.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.27 $10.27
$4.20 ฿142
144.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.16 $15.16
$18.79 ฿634
-19.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.82 ฿61.5
7.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 $3.45
$2.84 ฿95.8
21.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Mountain Home, ID
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.09 $2.09
$1.45 ฿48.98
44.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.5 $59.5
$56.7 ฿1,912
4.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 $2.99
$3.02 ฿102
-0.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.02 ฿34.33
77.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.66 $30.66
$3.69 ฿125
730.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 $1.16
$1.47 ฿49.76
-21.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K $28.2K
$26.8K ฿903.4K
5.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$26.7K ฿900.5K
1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mountain Home, ID
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 $202
$96.4 ฿3,251
109.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$57.7 $57.7
$11.26 ฿380
412.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.1 $70.1
$16.85 ฿568
315.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mountain Home, ID
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.58 $42.58
$67.2 ฿2,268
-36.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.92 $13.92
$7.50 ฿253
85.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mountain Home, ID
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,233 $1,233
$476 ฿16.1K
159.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.5K $22.5K
$11.3K ฿380.0K
99.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mountain Home, ID
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.2 $55.2
$62.4 ฿2,104
-11.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.22 $40.22
$28.41 ฿958
41.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.7 $94.7
$94.3 ฿3,181
0.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$128 $128
$85.8 ฿2,895
49.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mountain Home, ID
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,586 $1,586
$716 ฿24.2K
121.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,261 $1,261
$491 ฿16.6K
156.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,762 $2,762
$1,927 ฿65.0K
43.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,084 $2,084
$1,431 ฿48.3K
45.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,481 $2,481
$4,175 ฿140.9K
-40.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,339 $2,339
$3,045 ฿102.7K
-23.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mountain Home, ID
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿16.9K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
5.57
17.95%

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

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mountain Home, ID
$1.3K
Phuket
$491 61.1% $770
Groceries & Markets
Mountain Home, ID
$396
Phuket
$266 32.8% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mountain Home, ID
$330
Phuket
$124 62.2% $205
Eating Out
Mountain Home, ID
$326
Phuket
$122 62.7% $205
Clothing & Footwear
Mountain Home, ID
$143
Phuket
$122 14.8% $21
Getting Around
Mountain Home, ID
$80
Phuket
$71 11.6% $9.3
Sport & Entertainment
Mountain Home, ID
$70
Phuket
$82 16.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,586 in Mountain Home, ID and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Mountain Home, ID vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
13:32 1:32 PM
03:32 3:32 AM
14 h ahead of Mountain Home, ID
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,656
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 November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mountain Home, ID Phuket 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mountain Home, ID
  • 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
Mountain Home, ID vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Mountain Home, ID?
Phuket is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,910 in Mountain Home, ID and $1,917 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.
What is the rent difference between Mountain Home, ID and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,586 in Mountain Home, ID versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Mountain Home, ID and in Phuket?
All in, you’ll spend $2,606 per month in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 5% less than in Mountain Home, ID. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Mountain Home, ID or in Phuket?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,606 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.
Is it better to live in Mountain Home, ID or in Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Mountain Home, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Mountain Home, ID vs other spots: cost of living compared

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