Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,910 in Alton, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
Learn more

Alton, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,910

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,910 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Alton, IL $1,910

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,881 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Alton, IL $2,881

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,852 in Alton, IL, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Alton, IL $3,852

Phuket is about 33% cheaper than Alton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Alton, IL is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$21.04 $21.04

-78.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$55.0 $55.0

-41.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.83 $10.83

-18.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$4.90 $4.90

-42.24%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.46 $1.46

-40.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.75 $1.75

-72.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$4.12 $4.12

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.04 $6.04

-39.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.75 $0.75

121.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.50 $2.50

-41.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$3.17 $3.17

-52.68%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.19 $3.19

-34.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$9.53 $9.53

100.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.70 $6.70

-50.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$24.15 $24.15

-54.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$4.47 $4.47

-34.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.23 $1.23

37.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$5.15 $5.15

-56.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.91 $4.91

-57.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.16 $2.16

-30.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$2.83 $2.83

-51.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.08 $2.08

-48.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$2.14 $2.14

-75.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.90 $10.90

-61.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$12.13 $12.13

54.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.81 $1.81

0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.64 $2.64

7.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.95 $2.95

2.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.67 $1.67

-38.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.99 $0.99

48.48%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$27.4K $27.4K

-2.14%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.64%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$338 $338

-71.53%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$44.08 $44.08

-74.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$76.4 $76.4

-77.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$27.65 $27.65

143.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$12.15 $12.15

-38.27%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$280 $280

69.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$39.41 $39.41

58.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$42.27 $42.27

-32.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$65.2 $65.2

44.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$74.8 $74.8

14.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$740 $740

-3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$631 $631

-22.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,107 $1,107

74.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,281 $1,281

11.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,534 $1,534

172.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,426 $1,426

113.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,767 $3,767

-86.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-7.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alton, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Alton, IL

$631 33% 28.5% $140

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Alton, IL

$352 18.4% 32.3% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Alton, IL

$459 24% 269% $334

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Alton, IL

$100 5.2% 18.2% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Alton, IL

$305 16% 151% $183

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Alton, IL

$52 2.7% 36.8% $30

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6% 84% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $740 in Alton, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Alton, IL are about 7.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $55 in Alton, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $352 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

15:32 3:32 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

25,676

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Alton, IL 14,740 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Alton, IL

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 Alton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alton, IL costs about 49% 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 $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,865 in Alton, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $740 in Alton, IL. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,910 in Alton, IL. That makes Phuket about 33% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $280 in Alton, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Alton, IL at $1,910. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,910 in Alton, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alton, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.