Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Baton Rouge, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,240 in Baton Rouge, LA, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Baton Rouge, LA
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Baton Rouge, LA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Baton Rouge, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,240

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Baton Rouge, LA

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 Baton Rouge, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,240 in Baton Rouge, LA.

Phuket $1,278
Baton Rouge, LA $2,240

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,302 in Baton Rouge, LA.

Phuket $2,216
Baton Rouge, LA $3,302

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,364 in Baton Rouge, LA.

Phuket $3,154
Baton Rouge, LA $4,364

Living in Phuket costs roughly 43% less than in Baton Rouge, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Baton Rouge, LA is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$14.95 $14.95

-70.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$84.0 $84.0

-61.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$12.01 $12.01

-26.64%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$6.15 $6.15

-53.98%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$2.19 $2.19

-60.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.36 $1.36

-63.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.41 $5.41

-52.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.63 $7.63

-51.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.29 $1.29

28.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.88 $2.88

-49.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.37 $2.37

-36.71%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.96 $2.96

-29.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$12.95 $12.95

47.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$14.41 $14.41

-77.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$23.32 $23.32

-53.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$7.23 $7.23

-59.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.99 $2.99

-43.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$6.23 $6.23

-63.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.35 $4.35

-52.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.63 $3.63

-58.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.64 $2.64

-47.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.27 $2.27

-52.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.75 $1.75

-70.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$9.20 $9.20

-54.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$18.65 $18.65

0.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.85 $1.85

-1.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.05 $2.05

38.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$1.77 $1.77

-18.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$56.1 $56.1

1.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.98 $3.98

-24.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.26 $1.26

-19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$60.9 $60.9

-93.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.93 $0.93

58.06%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$27.9K $27.9K

-3.90%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-1.00%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$138 $138

-30.41%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$44.40 $44.40

-74.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$69.6 $69.6

-75.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$47.87 $47.87

40.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$10.18 $10.18

5.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$11.85 $11.85

-36.71%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,909 $1,909

-75.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$10.0K $10.0K

12.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$33.18 $33.18

87.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$42.39 $42.39

-32.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$86.5 $86.5

9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$72.2 $72.2

18.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$2,096 $2,096

-65.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,010 $1,010

-51.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,551 $2,551

-24.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,510 $1,510

-5.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,761 $1,761

137.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,619 $1,619

88.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,366 $3,366

-85.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.32

-11.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Baton Rouge, LA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Baton Rouge, LA

$1K 45.1% 106% $519

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Baton Rouge, LA

$442 19.7% 65.9% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Baton Rouge, LA

$252 11.3% 103% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Baton Rouge, LA

$105 4.7% 13.5% $16

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Baton Rouge, LA

$286 12.8% 135% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Baton Rouge, LA

$72 3.2% 13% $11

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Baton Rouge, LA

$73 3.3% 4.1% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $2,096 in Baton Rouge, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baton Rouge, LA pays about 6.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $84 in Baton Rouge, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $442 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Baton Rouge, LA

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

08:29 8:29 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

229,493

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Baton Rouge, LA 15,630 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Baton Rouge, LA

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 Baton Rouge, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,240 in Baton Rouge, LA, so Phuket is about 43% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 85% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $2,096 in Baton Rouge, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,909 in Baton Rouge, LA. 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 versus $84 in Baton Rouge, LA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,240 in Baton Rouge, LA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Baton Rouge, LA. 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, Baton Rouge, LA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.