Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palm Bay, FL and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,340 in Palm Bay, FL, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Palm Bay, FL, United States
Phuket, Thailand
Palm Bay, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,340
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,340 per month in Palm Bay, FL vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Palm Bay, FL $2,340
  • Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $3,527 per month in Palm Bay, FL vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Palm Bay, FL $3,527
  • Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $4,715 per month in Palm Bay, FL vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Palm Bay, FL $4,715
  • Phuket $3,154

Palm Bay, FL costs about 83% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Palm Bay, FL sits 72% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Palm Bay, FL
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.82 $25.82
$4.47 ฿151
477.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.9 $75.9
$32.41 ฿1,094
134.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.15 $10.15
$8.81 ฿297
15.21%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$2.83 ฿95.5
91.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$0.87 ฿29.43
245.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 $2.00
$0.49 ฿16.67
308.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.26 $5.26
$2.56 ฿86.4
105.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.53 $7.53
$3.68 ฿124
104.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Palm Bay, FL
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 $0.93
$1.66 ฿56.0
-43.98%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.46 ฿49.35
156.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.10 $3.10
$1.50 ฿50.6
106.67%
Eggs
$3.54 $3.54
$2.09 ฿70.5
69.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.09 $13.09
$19.07 ฿644
-31.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.25 $11.25
$3.30 ฿111
240.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.59 $14.59
$10.91 ฿368
33.73%
Apples (1kg)
$3.87 $3.87
$2.93 ฿99.0
32.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.69 ฿57.1
-9.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.49 $4.49
$2.25 ฿75.8
99.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.61 $5.61
$2.08 ฿70.1
169.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.86 $2.86
$1.51 ฿51.0
89.40%
Onion (1kg)
$3.36 $3.36
$1.38 ฿46.56
143.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.07 ฿35.99
106.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 $2.59
$0.52 ฿17.52
398.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.42 $9.42
$4.20 ฿142
124.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.16 $13.16
$18.79 ฿634
-29.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.82 ฿61.5
-2.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$2.84 ฿95.9
17.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Palm Bay, FL
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.45 ฿49.03
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$10.05 $10.05
$3.02 ฿102
232.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 $1.91
$1.02 ฿34.36
87.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.69 ฿125
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.47 ฿49.81
-29.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K $28.3K
$26.8K ฿904.3K
5.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$26.7K ฿901.3K
-0.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Palm Bay, FL
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$171 $171
$96.4 ฿3,254
77.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.1 $58.1
$11.26 ฿380
415.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.3 $75.3
$16.85 ฿569
346.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Palm Bay, FL
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.04 $34.04
$67.2 ฿2,270
-49.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.95 $9.95
$7.50 ฿253
32.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Palm Bay, FL
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,016 $1,016
$476 ฿16.1K
113.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,962 $6,962
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-38.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Palm Bay, FL
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 $67.8
$62.4 ฿2,106
8.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.56 $27.56
$28.41 ฿959
-2.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 $107
$94.3 ฿3,184
13.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$101 $101
$85.8 ฿2,898
18.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Palm Bay, FL
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,411 $1,411
$716 ฿24.2K
97.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,077 $1,077
$491 ฿16.6K
119.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,935 $1,935
$1,927 ฿65.1K
0.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,895 $1,895
$1,431 ฿48.3K
32.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,463 $2,463
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-41.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,528 $2,528
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-16.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Palm Bay, FL
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,602 $3,602
$502 ฿17.0K
617.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.56
5.57
17.77%

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

Last update for Palm Bay, FL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Palm Bay, FL
$1.1K
Phuket
$491 54.4% $586
Groceries & Markets
Palm Bay, FL
$384
Phuket
$266 30.7% $118
Eating Out
Palm Bay, FL
$363
Phuket
$122 66.5% $242
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Palm Bay, FL
$305
Phuket
$124 59.1% $180
Clothing & Footwear
Palm Bay, FL
$137
Phuket
$122 10.8% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Palm Bay, FL
$54
Phuket
$82 52.4% $28
Getting Around
Palm Bay, FL
$20 *
Phuket
$71 261% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,411 in Palm Bay, FL 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.

Salaries in Palm Bay, FL are about 7.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Palm Bay, FL versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Palm Bay, FL
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
08:10 8:10 AM
19:10 7:10 PM
11 h ahead of Palm Bay, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
119,760
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 = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Palm Bay, FL Phuket 16,020 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Palm Bay, FL
  • 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
Palm Bay, FL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Palm Bay, FL or Phuket?
Palm Bay, FL costs about 83% 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 Palm Bay, FL and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,509 per month in Palm Bay, FL 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, Palm Bay, FL or Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,411 in Palm Bay, FL.
How much does it cost to live in Palm Bay, FL compared to Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,340 in Palm Bay, FL and $1,278 in Phuket. That’s a gap of about 83%.
How do childcare costs compare in Palm Bay, FL and in Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $1,016 per month in Palm Bay, FL and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Palm Bay, FL or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Palm Bay, FL at $2,340. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Palm Bay, FL 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.
Should I move to Palm Bay, FL or to Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Palm Bay, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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