Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arlington, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,439 in Arlington, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
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Arlington, TX Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,439

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Arlington, TX

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 Arlington, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX.

Phuket $1,207
Arlington, TX $2,439

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $3,647 in Arlington, TX.

Phuket $2,037
Arlington, TX $3,647

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $4,855 in Arlington, TX.

Phuket $2,867
Arlington, TX $4,855

Living in Phuket costs roughly 50% less than in Arlington, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Arlington, TX is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$20.39 $20.39

-77.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$55.3 $55.3

-41.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$10.11 $10.11

-15.43%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$4.86 $4.86

-44.03%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$2.56 $2.56

-63.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$2.29 $2.29

-78.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$5.38 $5.38

-51.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$6.68 $6.68

-42.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.78 $0.78

123.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$3.64 $3.64

-60.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$5.26 $5.26

-70.91%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.67 $2.67

-18.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$10.60 $10.60

80.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$13.10 $13.10

-74.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$18.02 $18.02

-38.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$4.44 $4.44

-33.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.66 $2.66

-36.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$5.12 $5.12

-55.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$4.02 $4.02

-47.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$2.53 $2.53

-39.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.98 $2.98

-54.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.90 $1.90

-41.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$2.06 $2.06

-73.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$9.52 $9.52

-55.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$12.03 $12.03

51.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.01 $2.01

-13.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.36 $3.36

-16.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$6.09 $6.09

-63.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$40.51 $40.51

-45.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.93 $2.93

-0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.70 $1.70

-40.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$23.81 $23.81

-83.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.94 $0.94

58.51%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$35.8K $35.8K

-25.47%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.85%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$211 $211

-52.89%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$66.4 $66.4

-83.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$64.1 $64.1

-72.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$40.87 $40.87

27.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$14.74 $14.74

-48.64%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$1,332 $1,332

-58.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$28.4K $28.4K

-59.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$61.6 $61.6

2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$51.0 $51.0

-43.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$84.9 $84.9

13.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$102 $102

-13.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,536 $1,536

-52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$1,112 $1,112

-58.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$2,533 $2,533

-17.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$2,031 $2,031

-39.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,173 $2,173

59.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$2,217 $2,217

12.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$3,699 $3,699

-86.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.51

-14.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arlington, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 45.6% 142% $652

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Arlington, TX

$393 16.1% 46.8% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Arlington, TX

$341 14% 167% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Arlington, TX

$135 5.5% 8.4% $10

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Arlington, TX

$311 12.8% 157% $190

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Arlington, TX

$70 2.9% 4.3% $2.9

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Arlington, TX

$76 3.1% 96.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,536 in Arlington, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, TX pays 650% 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 $55.0 in Arlington, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $393 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

12:55 12:55 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

365,438

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Arlington, TX 15,210 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Arlington, TX

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 Arlington, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Arlington, TX. 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 650% lower in Arlington, TX. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $1,536 in Arlington, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 84% less than in Arlington, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Arlington, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Arlington, TX 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 102% less than in Arlington, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.