Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Columbia, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,193 in Columbia, SC, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, SC
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Columbia, SC Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Columbia, SC

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 Columbia, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,193 in Columbia, SC.

Phuket $1,278
Columbia, SC $2,193

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,366 in Columbia, SC.

Phuket $2,216
Columbia, SC $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,538 in Columbia, SC.

Phuket $3,154
Columbia, SC $4,538

Living in Phuket costs roughly 42% less than in Columbia, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Columbia, SC is 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$19.80 $19.80

-77.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$61.1 $61.1

-46.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.97 $11.97

-26.40%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.42 $5.42

-47.79%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$2.80 $2.80

-68.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$2.18 $2.18

-77.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.43 $5.43

-52.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.39 $6.39

-42.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.84 $0.84

97.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.53 $2.53

-42.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.52 $4.52

-66.81%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.03 $4.03

-48.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$10.49 $10.49

81.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.14 $11.14

-70.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.89 $15.89

-31.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$5.26 $5.26

-44.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.63 $1.63

3.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$6.45 $6.45

-65.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.17 $6.17

-66.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.10 $3.10

-51.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$4.36 $4.36

-68.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.01 $2.01

-46.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.79 $1.79

-70.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$8.40 $8.40

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.62 $15.62

20.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.83 $1.83

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.68 $2.68

5.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$1.98 $1.98

-26.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$40.15 $40.15

41.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.98 $1.98

52.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.59 $1.59

-35.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$17.89 $17.89

-79.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.91 $0.91

61.54%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.13%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

5.90%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$277 $277

-65.25%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$60.2 $60.2

-81.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$63.8 $63.8

-73.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$34.47 $34.47

95.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$18.22 $18.22

-41.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$15.22 $15.22

-50.72%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,117 $1,117

-57.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$22.9K $22.9K

-50.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$52.3 $52.3

19.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$39.57 $39.57

-28.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$82.2 $82.2

14.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$114 $114

-24.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,430 $1,430

-49.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$832 $832

-40.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$3,198 $3,198

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,672 $1,672

-14.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,313 $2,313

80.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,668 $1,668

82.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,240 $3,240

-84.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.56

-15.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Columbia, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Columbia, SC

$832 37.9% 69.4% $341

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Columbia, SC

$389 17.7% 46% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Columbia, SC

$401 18.3% 222% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Columbia, SC

$130 5.9% 6.4% $7.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Columbia, SC

$319 14.6% 162% $198

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Columbia, SC

$65 3% 21.1% $17

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Columbia, SC

$58 2.6% 17.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,430 in Columbia, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, SC pays about 6.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $61 in Columbia, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $389 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Columbia, SC

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

10:05 10:05 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

139,698

💱 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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Between locations

Phuket Columbia, SC 15,360 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Columbia, SC

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 Columbia, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 42% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 84% 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 $1,430 in Columbia, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Columbia, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $61 in Columbia, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,193 in Columbia, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Columbia, SC. 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 Columbia, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Columbia, SC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.