Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and East Chicago, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,605 in East Chicago, IN, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
126

Cost of Living Index in East Chicago, IN
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East Chicago, IN Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

East Chicago, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in East Chicago, IN

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 East Chicago, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,605 in East Chicago, IN, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
East Chicago, IN $2,605

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,819 in East Chicago, IN, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
East Chicago, IN $3,819

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,034 in East Chicago, IN, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
East Chicago, IN $5,034

Phuket is about 51% cheaper than East Chicago, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$22.32 $22.32

-79.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$65.1 $65.1

-50.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.87 $11.87

-25.78%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$5.63 $5.63

-49.73%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.28 $2.28

-61.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$2.05 $2.05

-76.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$6.81 $6.81

-62.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.27 $6.27

-41.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.06 $1.06

56.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$3.05 $3.05

-52.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.75 $4.75

-68.42%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.58 $3.58

-41.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$13.42 $13.42

42.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$12.42 $12.42

-73.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$18.70 $18.70

-41.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$5.08 $5.08

-42.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.55 $1.55

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.28 $4.28

-47.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.13 $4.13

-49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.79 $2.79

-45.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$3.07 $3.07

-55.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.23 $2.23

-52.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$2.23 $2.23

-76.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.24 $10.24

-58.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$17.19 $17.19

9.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.98 $1.98

-8.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.10 $3.10

-8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.86 $1.86

-22.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$51.2 $51.2

10.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.41 $3.41

-11.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.56 $1.56

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$28.94 $28.94

-87.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.94 $0.94

56.38%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$28.8K $28.8K

-7.09%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$24.9K $24.9K

7.10%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$199 $199

-51.62%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$57.1 $57.1

-80.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$69.7 $69.7

-75.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$34.38 $34.38

95.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$12.97 $12.97

-42.17%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,336 $1,336

-64.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$21.6K $21.6K

-47.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$55.8 $55.8

11.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$37.96 $37.96

-25.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$91.3 $91.3

3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$108 $108

-20.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,578 $1,578

-54.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,265 $1,265

-61.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$2,539 $2,539

-24.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,140 $2,140

-33.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,920 $2,920

43.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,165 $2,165

40.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$4,091 $4,091

-87.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.57

-15.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for East Chicago, IN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

East Chicago, IN

$1.3K 48.6% 158% $774

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

East Chicago, IN

$406 15.6% 52.5% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

East Chicago, IN

$326 12.5% 162% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

East Chicago, IN

$132 5.1% 8.2% $10

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

East Chicago, IN

$346 13.3% 184% $224

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

East Chicago, IN

$60 2.3% 26.7% $22

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

East Chicago, IN

$70 2.7% 1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,578 in East Chicago, IN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in East Chicago, IN are about 8.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $65 in East Chicago, IN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $406 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 East Chicago, IN

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

10:14 10:14 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

26,370

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket East Chicago, IN 14,480 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
East Chicago, IN

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 East Chicago, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – East Chicago, IN is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,907 in East Chicago, IN. 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 $1,578 in East Chicago, IN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,605 in East Chicago, IN. That’s a gap of about 104%.

Public transport costs about 10% less in East Chicago, IN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in East Chicago, IN at $2,605. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in East Chicago, IN 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, East Chicago, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.