Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,152 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ames, IA

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 Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,152 in Ames, IA.

Phuket $1,294
Ames, IA $2,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,214 in Ames, IA.

Phuket $2,204
Ames, IA $3,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $4,277 in Ames, IA.

Phuket $3,115
Ames, IA $4,277

Living in Phuket costs roughly 40% less than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Ames, IA is 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$17.69 $17.69

-75.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$52.7 $52.7

-38.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$11.91 $11.91

-26.95%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$4.86 $4.86

-44.03%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$2.62 $2.62

-64.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$2.30 $2.30

-78.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$4.05 $4.05

-37.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$7.13 $7.13

-49.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$0.90 $0.90

93.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$3.61 $3.61

-59.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.26 $3.26

-53.99%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.46 $3.46

-37.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$10.37 $10.37

84.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$13.64 $13.64

-75.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$18.55 $18.55

-41.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$5.82 $5.82

-49.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.86 $1.86

-9.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$6.48 $6.48

-66.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$5.15 $5.15

-58.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$4.29 $4.29

-65.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$4.07 $4.07

-66.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$2.33 $2.33

-53.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$2.54 $2.54

-78.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$9.72 $9.72

-54.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$15.93 $15.93

14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$2.90 $2.90

-38.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$5.09 $5.09

-43.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$0.97 $0.97

49.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$34.51 $34.51

59.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$5.02 $5.02

-69.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$1.73 $1.73

-54.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$23.68 $23.68

-83.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$0.90 $0.90

65.56%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

5.31%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

-0.37%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$183 $183

-46.49%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$56.2 $56.2

-79.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$69.4 $69.4

-75.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$67.9 $67.9

0.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$19.84 $19.84

-44.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$14.93 $14.93

-50.23%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$1,337 $1,337

-60.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$10.2K $10.2K

83.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$55.8 $55.8

10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$44.45 $44.45

-36.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$88.8 $88.8

8.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$108 $108

-19.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,065 $1,065

-32.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$834 $834

-38.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$1,787 $1,787

9.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$1,445 $1,445

-3.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$2,605 $2,605

60.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$2,115 $2,115

55.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$3,549 $3,549

-86.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.41

-13.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Ames, IA

$834 38.8% 63.9% $325

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Ames, IA

$436 20.3% 63.5% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Ames, IA

$308 14.3% 144% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Ames, IA

$134 6.2% 9% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Ames, IA

$290 13.5% 143% $170

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Ames, IA

$98 4.5% 17.6% $15

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Ames, IA

$52 2.4% 21.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays about 7.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $53 in Ames, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $436 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

08:15 8:15 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

66,427

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ames, IA 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ames, IA

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 Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 86% lower in Phuket. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 37% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $1,337 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,152 in Ames, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Ames, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.