Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,020 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
145

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Des Plaines, IL

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 Des Plaines, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,020 in Des Plaines, IL.

Phuket $1,278
Des Plaines, IL $3,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $4,447 in Des Plaines, IL.

Phuket $2,216
Des Plaines, IL $4,447

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,874 in Des Plaines, IL.

Phuket $3,154
Des Plaines, IL $5,874

Living in Phuket costs roughly 58% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Des Plaines, IL is 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$20.52 $20.52

-78.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$91.6 $91.6

-64.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$13.23 $13.23

-33.41%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$5.69 $5.69

-50.26%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$2.68 $2.68

-67.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$2.27 $2.27

-78.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$6.85 $6.85

-62.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$8.19 $8.19

-55.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.99 $0.99

67.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.59 $3.59

-59.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$4.36 $4.36

-65.60%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$4.17 $4.17

-49.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$14.87 $14.87

28.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$13.45 $13.45

-75.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$17.98 $17.98

-39.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$4.59 $4.59

-36.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.57 $1.57

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$4.03 $4.03

-44.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.83 $4.83

-56.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.67 $2.67

-43.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$2.72 $2.72

-49.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.16 $2.16

-50.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$2.44 $2.44

-78.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.74 $10.74

-60.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$14.81 $14.81

26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.65 $2.65

-31.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.34 $3.34

-14.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$2.03 $2.03

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$59.3 $59.3

-4.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.19 $3.19

-5.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.36 $1.36

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$24.67 $24.67

-85.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.03 $1.03

42.72%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$30.3K $30.3K

-11.50%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.27%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$194 $194

-50.45%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$60.9 $60.9

-81.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$79.0 $79.0

-78.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$124 $124

-45.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$40.18 $40.18

-73.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.87 $14.87

-49.56%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$1,664 $1,664

-71.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$23.5K $23.5K

-52.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$64.7 $64.7

-3.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$50.1 $50.1

-43.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$102 $102

-7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$121 $121

-29.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$2,142 $2,142

-66.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$1,541 $1,541

-68.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$3,946 $3,946

-51.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$2,531 $2,531

-43.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$3,261 $3,261

28.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$2,479 $2,479

22.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$6,110 $6,110

-91.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.79

-17.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 51% 214% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$419 13.9% 57.5% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Des Plaines, IL

$334 11.1% 169% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$152 5% 24.6% $30

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$343 11.3% 182% $221

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1% 86.4% $71

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$77 2.6% 9.7% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $2,142 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $92 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $419 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

00:13 12:13 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

60,675

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Des Plaines, IL 14,430 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Des Plaines, IL

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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $3,020 in Des Plaines, IL, so Phuket is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 92% 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 $2,142 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Des Plaines, IL. 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 $92 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,020 in Des Plaines, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.