Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Burlington, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,769 in Burlington, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Burlington, 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 Burlington, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA.

Phuket $1,208
Burlington, IA $1,769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $2,675 in Burlington, IA.

Phuket $2,027
Burlington, IA $2,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $3,580 in Burlington, IA.

Phuket $2,845
Burlington, IA $3,580

Living in Phuket costs roughly 32% less than in Burlington, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Burlington, IA is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$11.35 $11.35

-61.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$59.1 $59.1

-45.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.84 $8.84

-0.90%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$4.74 $4.74

-40.30%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.95 $1.95

-53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.02 $2.02

-76.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$3.41 $3.41

-25.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.58 $4.58

-16.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.81 $0.81

113.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.82 $2.82

-47.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$4.34 $4.34

-65.21%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.92 $2.92

-25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$11.37 $11.37

73.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$11.93 $11.93

-72.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$14.20 $14.20

-21.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$4.02 $4.02

-29.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.98 $1.98

-14.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.61 $4.61

-52.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$4.65 $4.65

-55.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.74 $2.74

-47.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.60 $2.60

-46.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.54 $1.54

-30.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.06 $2.06

-75.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.16 $8.16

-47.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$16.29 $16.29

14.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.89 $1.89

-5.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.27 $2.27

25.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.94 $1.94

16.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$15.76 $15.76

40.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$4.67 $4.67

-35.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.02 $1.02

3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$22.19 $22.19

-82.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$0.94 $0.94

54.26%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$22.7K $22.7K

15.83%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$25.0K $25.0K

7.85%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$184 $184

-47.65%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$47.16 $47.16

-76.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$59.2 $59.2

-71.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$42.42 $42.42

23.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$11.92 $11.92

-34.48%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$1,210 $1,210

-54.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$13.3K $13.3K

-12.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$44.72 $44.72

43.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$30.53 $30.53

-6.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$87.0 $87.0

9.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$37.90 $37.90

132.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$754 $754

-2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$707 $707

-34.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,172 $1,172

78.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$1,280 $1,280

-6.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,026 $1,026

239.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,033 $1,033

144.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$4,446 $4,446

-88.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.54

-14.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Burlington, IA

$707 40% 52.9% $244

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7% 36.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4% 133% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1% 27.6% $34

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2% 78.5% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7% 2.3% $1.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9% 15.6% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 788% 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 $59.0 in Burlington, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $366 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

20:50 8:50 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

44,743

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Burlington, IA 14,510 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Burlington, 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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Burlington, 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 788% lower in Burlington, IA. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $1,210 in Burlington, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Burlington, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Burlington, IA. 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 $1,208 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Burlington, IA 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 46% less than in Burlington, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.