Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Albert Lea, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Albert Lea, MN
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Albert Lea, MN Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Albert Lea, MN

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Albert Lea, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN.

Phuket $1,208
Albert Lea, MN $1,944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN.

Phuket $2,027
Albert Lea, MN $2,969

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN.

Phuket $2,845
Albert Lea, MN $3,995

Living in Phuket costs roughly 38% less than in Albert Lea, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Albert Lea, MN is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$20.02 $20.02

-78.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$102 $102

-68.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$11.92 $11.92

-26.51%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$6.29 $6.29

-55.01%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$3.06 $3.06

-70.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.56 $2.56

-81.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$4.88 $4.88

-47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.69 $5.69

-32.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.92 $0.92

88.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.93 $2.93

-49.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$2.17 $2.17

-30.41%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.90 $3.90

-44.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$8.84 $8.84

122.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$16.56 $16.56

-79.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$18.96 $18.96

-41.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$5.40 $5.40

-47.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.50 $1.50

13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.89 $4.89

-55.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$3.72 $3.72

-44.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.73 $2.73

-46.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.22 $2.22

-37.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$2.70 $2.70

-60.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.30 $2.30

-77.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$9.92 $9.92

-57.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$15.24 $15.24

21.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.74 $1.74

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$3.39 $3.39

-15.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.09 $2.09

8.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.95 $1.95

54.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.28 $1.28

-17.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$20.31 $20.31

-80.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.94 $0.94

54.26%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.29%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$25.6K $25.6K

5.25%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$185 $185

-47.80%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$53.4 $53.4

-79.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$79.6 $79.6

-78.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$39.66 $39.66

31.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$9.82 $9.82

-20.47%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$1,350 $1,350

-58.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$11.9K $11.9K

-2.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$45.76 $45.76

40.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$24.54 $24.54

16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$50.6 $50.6

88.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$59.6 $59.6

47.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,030 $1,030

-28.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$739 $739

-37.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,586 $1,586

32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$1,188 $1,188

1.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,942 $2,942

18.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,028 $2,028

24.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$2,957 $2,957

-83.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.57

-15.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38% 59.9% $277

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6% 48.9% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3% 155% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2% 34.6% $43

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17% 172% $208

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1% 12.5% $8.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9% 57.6% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albert Lea, MN pays 491% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $102 in Albert Lea, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $400 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

05:19 5:19 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

17,758

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Albert Lea, MN 14,160 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Albert Lea, MN

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

Phuket vs Albert Lea, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Albert Lea, MN differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,208 vs $1,944 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 491% lower in Albert Lea, MN. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $102 in Albert Lea, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Albert Lea, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Albert Lea, MN 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 61% less than in Albert Lea, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.