Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paola, KS and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,587 in Paola, KS, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Paola, KS
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Paola, KS Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Paola, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,587

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,587 per month in Paola, KS vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Paola, KS $2,587
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $3,553 per month in Paola, KS vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Paola, KS $3,553
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $4,520 per month in Paola, KS vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Paola, KS $4,520
Phuket $3,115

Paola, KS costs about 100% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Paola, KS sits 91% above the global median, while Phuket is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 $16.15

$4.39 ฿147

267.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 $72.6

$32.31 ฿1,085

124.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$8.70 ฿292

38.16%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$2.72 ฿91.5

79.04%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$0.93 ฿31.25

165.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.50 ฿16.78

324.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.53 ฿85.0

92.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 $5.54

$3.63 ฿122

52.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.74 ฿58.4

-35.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.45 ฿48.73

94.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.50 ฿50.5

188.00%

Eggs

$3.38 $3.38

$2.17 ฿73.0

55.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 $11.52

$19.09 ฿641

-39.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 $11.88

$3.40 ฿114

249.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 $14.24

$10.90 ฿366

30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.94 ฿98.8

38.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.69 ฿56.8

18.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.19 ฿73.7

115.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.12 ฿71.4

116.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.46 ฿48.99

88.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.37 ฿45.95

87.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.08 ฿36.14

55.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.55 ฿18.32

270.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.13 $8.13

$4.43 ฿149

83.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.47 $16.47

$18.25 ฿613

-9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.77 ฿59.5

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.88 ฿96.8

-19.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.45 ฿48.62

50.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$54.9 ฿1,844

-3.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.51 ฿50.8

224.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.78 ฿26.06

28.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.34 $22.34

$3.84 ฿129

481.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.49 ฿49.96

-31.54%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$26.9K ฿902.9K

31.46%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.3K ฿884.9K

-1.65%

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

$185 $185

$97.8 ฿3,285

88.93%

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

$45.49 $45.49

$11.29 ฿379

302.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.1 $57.1

$17.19 ฿577

232.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.92 $38.92

$68.3 ฿2,295

-43.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 $12.54

$7.43 ฿250

68.78%

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

$1,221 $1,221

$530 ฿17.8K

130.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K $15.1K

$18.8K ฿630.9K

-19.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.10 $48.10

$61.7 ฿2,072

-22.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.50 $33.50

$28.25 ฿949

18.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 $93.4

$96.0 ฿3,225

-2.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 $85.8

$86.8 ฿2,916

-1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 $1,438

$721 ฿24.2K

99.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 $1,396

$509 ฿17.1K

174.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,611 $2,611

$1,950 ฿65.5K

33.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 $1,882

$1,397 ฿46.9K

34.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,511 $2,511

$4,192 ฿140.8K

-40.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,171 $2,171

$3,298 ฿110.8K

-34.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.57

17.41%

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

Last update for Paola, KS: November 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Paola, KS

$1.4K 54%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 63.5% $887

Groceries & Markets

Paola, KS

$373 14.4%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 28.5% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paola, KS

$287 11.1%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 56.1% $161

Eating Out

Paola, KS

$277 10.7%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 56.9% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Paola, KS

$117 4.5%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 4.6% $5.4

Getting Around

Paola, KS

$72 2.8%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 7.6% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Paola, KS

$64 2.5%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 30% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,438 in Paola, KS versus $721 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Paola, KS versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $373 vs $267 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Paola, KS

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

15:44 3:44 PM

13 h ahead of Paola, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,600

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Paola, KS Phuket 14,670 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Paola, KS
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

Paola, KS vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paola, KS costs about 100% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,880 per month in Paola, KS and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,438 in Paola, KS.

Kindergarten costs $1,221 per month in Paola, KS and $530 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Paola, KS, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Paola, KS at $2,587. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paola, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.