Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dover, DE

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,593 in Dover, DE, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Dover, DE
Learn more

Dover, DE Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Dover, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,593

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Dover, DE

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 Dover, DE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,593 in Dover, DE, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Dover, DE $2,593

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,781 in Dover, DE, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Dover, DE $3,781

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,970 in Dover, DE, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Dover, DE $4,970

Phuket is about 51% cheaper than Dover, DE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Dover, DE is 91% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.16 $13.16

-66.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$59.9 $59.9

-45.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.58 $10.58

-16.73%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.93 $4.93

-42.60%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.31 $2.31

-62.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.21 $2.21

-77.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$4.96 $4.96

-48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$8.13 $8.13

-54.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.96 $0.96

72.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.82 $2.82

-48.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.66 $2.66

-43.61%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.97 $4.97

-57.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$12.23 $12.23

55.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$14.54 $14.54

-77.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$18.90 $18.90

-42.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.92 $4.92

-40.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.12 $1.12

50.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$6.19 $6.19

-63.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$5.18 $5.18

-59.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.11 $3.11

-51.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$2.02 $2.02

-31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.74 $1.74

-38.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$2.51 $2.51

-79.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$8.59 $8.59

-51.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.78 $14.78

27.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.72 $1.72

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.99 $4.99

-43.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.98 $0.98

50.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$27.6K $27.6K

-2.82%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.60%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$219 $219

-55.95%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$49.94 $49.94

-77.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$71.3 $71.3

-76.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$121 $121

-44.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$17.07 $17.07

-56.06%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$687 $687

-30.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-47.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$47.92 $47.92

30.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$35.92 $35.92

-20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$110 $110

-14.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$201 $201

-57.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,692 $1,692

-57.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,251 $1,251

-60.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,353 $2,353

-18.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,110 $2,110

-32.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,146 $2,146

94.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,180 $2,180

39.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$5,760 $5,760

-91.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.72

-17.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dover, DE: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Dover, DE

$1.3K 48.3% 155% $760

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Dover, DE

$415 16% 55.8% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Dover, DE

$340 13.1% 173% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dover, DE

$177 6.8% 45.5% $55

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Dover, DE

$255 9.8% 110% $134

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Dover, DE

$155 6% 88.1% $72

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Dover, DE

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,692 in Dover, DE. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dover, DE are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $60 in Dover, DE. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $415 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Dover, DE

🕒 Local time

05:14 5:14 AM

17:14 5:14 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

34,735

💱 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Dover, DE 14,750 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Dover, DE

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 Dover, DE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dover, DE costs about 103% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,890 in Dover, DE. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,692 in Dover, DE.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $60 in Dover, DE. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Dover, DE, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Dover, DE at $2,593. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dover, DE it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dover, DE makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.