Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bellevue, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,763 in Bellevue, WA, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 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
181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
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Bellevue, WA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bellevue, WA

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 Bellevue, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,763 in Bellevue, WA.

Phuket $1,278
Bellevue, WA $3,763

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $5,702 in Bellevue, WA.

Phuket $2,216
Bellevue, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $7,641 in Bellevue, WA.

Phuket $3,154
Bellevue, WA $7,641

Living in Phuket costs roughly 66% less than in Bellevue, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Bellevue, WA is 177% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$25.38 $25.38

-82.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$101 $101

-67.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$13.03 $13.03

-32.39%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.80 $5.80

-51.21%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$3.15 $3.15

-72.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$2.51 $2.51

-80.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$7.91 $7.91

-67.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.94 $7.94

-53.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.10 $1.10

50.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$4.65 $4.65

-68.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$6.05 $6.05

-75.21%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.54 $5.54

-62.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$15.96 $15.96

19.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$16.26 $16.26

-79.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$22.78 $22.78

-52.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$5.61 $5.61

-47.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.87 $1.87

-9.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$5.54 $5.54

-59.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.52 $4.52

-53.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.77 $2.77

-45.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$3.32 $3.32

-58.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.99 $1.99

-46.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$2.48 $2.48

-79.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$12.41 $12.41

-66.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$18.19 $18.19

3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.12 $2.12

-14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$4.75 $4.75

-40.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$3.05 $3.05

-52.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$110 $110

-48.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.64 $2.64

14.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.70 $1.70

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$30.09 $30.09

-87.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.41 $1.41

4.26%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$28.6K $28.6K

-6.36%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.32%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$227 $227

-57.64%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$54.2 $54.2

-79.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$64.8 $64.8

-73.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$186 $186

-63.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$39.31 $39.31

-72.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$18.28 $18.28

-58.97%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,980 $1,980

-75.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$31.9K $31.9K

-64.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$62.1 $62.1

0.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$44.06 $44.06

-35.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$99.2 $99.2

-4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$125 $125

-31.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$2,940 $2,940

-75.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$2,028 $2,028

-75.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$6,554 $6,554

-70.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$3,722 $3,722

-61.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$7,947 $7,947

-47.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$5,385 $5,385

-43.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$8,751 $8,751

-94.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.64

-16.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Bellevue, WA

$2K 53.9% 313% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Bellevue, WA

$494 13.1% 85.7% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.2% 178% $222

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bellevue, WA

$149 4% 22.1% $27

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Bellevue, WA

$390 10.4% 220% $268

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Bellevue, WA

$222 5.9% 171% $140

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Bellevue, WA

$133 3.6% 89.1% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $2,940 in Bellevue, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays about 17 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $101 in Bellevue, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $494 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

22:10 10:10 PM

15 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

151,854

💱 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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Phuket Bellevue, WA 12,670 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bellevue, WA

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 Bellevue, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 66% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 94% 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 $2,940 in Bellevue, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $101 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $3,763 in Bellevue, WA – Phuket is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,763 in Bellevue, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Bellevue, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bellevue, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bellevue, WA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Bellevue, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.