Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Auburn, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,176 in Auburn, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, CA
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Auburn, CA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Auburn, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Auburn, CA

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 Auburn, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $3,176 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Auburn, CA $3,176

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $4,577 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Auburn, CA $4,577

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,978 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Auburn, CA $5,978

Phuket is about 60% cheaper than Auburn, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Auburn, CA is 133% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$24.65 $24.65

-81.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$91.5 $91.5

-64.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.86 $11.86

-25.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.88 $4.88

-42.01%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$2.62 $2.62

-66.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$2.35 $2.35

-79.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.95 $4.95

-48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.95 $6.95

-47.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.22 $1.22

36.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$4.48 $4.48

-67.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$8.19 $8.19

-81.68%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.18 $3.18

-34.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$25.82 $25.82

-26.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$18.26 $18.26

-81.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$22.83 $22.83

-52.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$8.16 $8.16

-64.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.72 $1.72

-1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$8.75 $8.75

-74.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.62 $6.62

-68.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$5.11 $5.11

-70.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$3.01 $3.01

-54.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.02 $2.02

-47.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$2.30 $2.30

-77.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$12.00 $12.00

-65.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.93 $14.93

25.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.39 $1.39

30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.02 $2.02

40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$3.56 $3.56

-59.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$90.8 $90.8

-37.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.16 $3.16

-4.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$2.42 $2.42

-57.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$39.43 $39.43

-90.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.28 $1.28

14.84%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.62%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$24.2K $24.2K

10.20%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$186 $186

-48.27%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$50.4 $50.4

-77.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$66.9 $66.9

-74.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$64.2 $64.2

4.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$15.04 $15.04

-50.13%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$2,510 $2,510

-81.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$6,097 $6,097

84.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$70.7 $70.7

-11.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$46.61 $46.61

-39.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$108 $108

-12.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$203 $203

-57.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,831 $1,831

-60.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,558 $1,558

-68.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,710 $2,710

-28.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,294 $2,294

-37.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$3,305 $3,305

26.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,699 $2,699

12.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,957 $3,957

-87.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.77

-17.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Auburn, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Auburn, CA

$1.6K 49.1% 218% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Auburn, CA

$557 17.5% 109% $291

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Auburn, CA

$303 9.6% 144% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Auburn, CA

$193 6.1% 58.1% $71

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Auburn, CA

$350 11% 188% $228

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Auburn, CA

$94 3% 14.6% $12

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Auburn, CA

$120 3.8% 70.5% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,831 in Auburn, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Auburn, CA are about 7.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $91 in Auburn, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $557 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Auburn, CA

🕒 Local time

11:51 11:51 AM

20:51 8:51 PM

15 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

76,143

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Auburn, CA 13,410 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Auburn, CA

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 Auburn, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $3,176 in Auburn, CA – Phuket comes out roughly 60% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $4,764 in Auburn, CA. 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 $716 there versus $1,831 in Auburn, CA.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $2,510 in Auburn, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 109% more in Auburn, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Auburn, CA at $3,176. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Auburn, CA 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.

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