Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Effingham, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,532 in Effingham, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Effingham, IL
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Effingham, IL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Effingham, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,532 in Effingham, IL.

Phuket $1,294
Effingham, IL $2,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,610 in Effingham, IL.

Phuket $2,204
Effingham, IL $3,610

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $4,687 in Effingham, IL.

Phuket $3,115
Effingham, IL $4,687

Living in Phuket costs roughly 49% less than in Effingham, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Effingham, IL is 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$14.76 $14.76

-70.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$44.61 $44.61

-27.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$11.92 $11.92

-27.01%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$5.84 $5.84

-53.42%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$3.20 $3.20

-70.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$2.67 $2.67

-81.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$4.99 $4.99

-49.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$7.18 $7.18

-49.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$0.84 $0.84

107.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$3.23 $3.23

-55.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.28 $4.28

-64.95%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.75 $3.75

-42.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$12.50 $12.50

52.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$11.21 $11.21

-69.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$16.70 $16.70

-34.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$5.52 $5.52

-46.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.52 $1.52

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$4.93 $4.93

-55.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$4.31 $4.31

-50.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$2.22 $2.22

-34.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$1.12 $1.12

22.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$2.41 $2.41

-55.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$2.41 $2.41

-77.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$11.14 $11.14

-60.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$11.86 $11.86

53.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$1.97 $1.97

-10.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$3.60 $3.60

-20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$2.11 $2.11

-31.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$67.7 $67.7

-18.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.95 $1.95

-22.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$1.75 $1.75

-55.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$34.19 $34.19

-88.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.02 $1.02

46.08%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$30.3K $30.3K

-11.15%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

-0.68%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$228 $228

-57.15%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$45.32 $45.32

-75.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$63.4 $63.4

-72.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$40.06 $40.06

70.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$15.02 $15.02

-50.53%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$1,757 $1,757

-69.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$25.4K $25.4K

-26.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$44.28 $44.28

39.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$34.47 $34.47

-18.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$83.4 $83.4

15.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$66.1 $66.1

31.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,590 $1,590

-54.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,267 $1,267

-59.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$2,520 $2,520

-22.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$2,091 $2,091

-33.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$3,021 $3,021

38.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$2,004 $2,004

64.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.7

-16.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Effingham, IL: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Effingham, IL

$1.3K 50% 149% $758

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Effingham, IL

$383 15.1% 43.4% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Effingham, IL

$337 13.3% 167% $211

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Effingham, IL

$103 4.1% 16.3% $20

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Effingham, IL

$287 11.3% 140% $167

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Effingham, IL

$70 2.8% 15.7% $13

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Effingham, IL

$87 3.4% 31.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,590 in Effingham, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $45 in Effingham, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $383 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Effingham, IL

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

15:08 3:08 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

12,447

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Effingham, IL 14,740 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Effingham, 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 Effingham, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $2,532 in Effingham, IL, so Phuket is about 49% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $3,799 in Effingham, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $1,590 in Effingham, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $1,757 in Effingham, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Effingham, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,532 in Effingham, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Effingham, 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 49% less than in Effingham, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.