Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Elgin, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,057 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Elgin, IL
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Elgin, IL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,057 in Elgin, IL.

Phuket $1,278
Elgin, IL $1,057

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,633 in Elgin, IL.

Phuket $2,216
Elgin, IL $2,633

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,209 in Elgin, IL.

Phuket $3,154
Elgin, IL $4,209

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than in Elgin, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Elgin, IL 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$20.39 $20.39

-78.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$59.1 $59.1

-45.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.94 $9.94

-11.37%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.2

$4.08 $4.08

-30.64%

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

$0.87 ฿29.36

$3.06 $3.06

-71.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.63

$2.04 $2.04

-75.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$5.98 $5.98

-57.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.88 $4.88

-24.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.87 $0.87

90.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.24

$3.52 $3.52

-58.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$4.15 $4.15

-63.86%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$3.64 $3.64

-42.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$11.13 $11.13

71.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$13.06 $13.06

-74.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.98 $11.98

-8.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$4.47 $4.47

-34.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.33 $1.33

27.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.53 $2.53

-11.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿69.9

$4.04 $4.04

-48.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.00 $2.00

-24.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.45

$2.01 $2.01

-31.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.90

$1.78 $1.78

-39.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.48

$2.40 $2.40

-78.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.58 $10.58

-60.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$15.75 $15.75

19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.71 $2.71

-32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.54 $3.54

-19.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.05 $4.05

-25.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.28

$2.04 $2.04

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$27.57 $27.57

-86.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.69

$1.04 $1.04

41.35%

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

$26.8K ฿902.1K

$31.2K $31.2K

-14.11%

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

$26.7K ฿899.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.50%

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

$96.4 ฿3,246

$98.8 $98.8

-2.47%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$53.3 $53.3

-78.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$49.92 $49.92

-66.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,265

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$15.10 $15.10

-50.33%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$1,656 $1,656

-71.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.5K

$23.4K $23.4K

-51.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,101

$40.64 $40.64

53.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$50.3 $50.3

-43.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,177

$99.6 $99.6

-5.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,891

$120 $120

-28.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$2,162 $2,162

-10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,820 $1,820

-21.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$2,201 $2,201

89.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$2,268 $2,268

34.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,966 $3,966

-87.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.69

-16.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Elgin, IL

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Elgin, IL

$368 34.9% 38.4% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Elgin, IL

$202 19.1% 62.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Elgin, IL

$140 13.2% 14.7% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Elgin, IL

$302 28.6% 148% $180

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.9% 63.3% $52

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4% 79.8% $56

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

Cost Breakdown

Elgin, IL pays about 7.9 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $59 in Elgin, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $368 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

03:06 3:06 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

112,603

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 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 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Elgin, IL 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Elgin, IL is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% 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.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,656 in Elgin, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $59 in Elgin, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Elgin, IL gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Elgin, IL are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.