Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Emporia, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,561 in Emporia, KS, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Emporia, KS
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Emporia, KS Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Emporia, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Emporia, KS

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 Emporia, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $1,561 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Emporia, KS $1,561

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $2,485 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Emporia, KS $2,485

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $3,409 in Emporia, KS, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Emporia, KS $3,409

Phuket is about 17% cheaper than Emporia, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Emporia, KS is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$15.81 $15.81

-72.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$74.4 $74.4

-56.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$11.79 $11.79

-26.21%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$4.47 $4.47

-39.15%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$2.28 $2.28

-59.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$1.69 $1.69

-70.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$5.11 $5.11

-50.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$6.02 $6.02

-39.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$0.95 $0.95

83.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$3.29 $3.29

-55.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.96 $1.96

-23.47%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$2.75 $2.75

-21.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$8.27 $8.27

130.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$8.67 $8.67

-60.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$14.48 $14.48

-24.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$4.88 $4.88

-39.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.18 $1.18

43.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$2.73 $2.73

-19.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$2.89 $2.89

-26.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$1.62 $1.62

-9.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$2.70 $2.70

-49.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$1.89 $1.89

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$2.35 $2.35

-76.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$8.79 $8.79

-49.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$9.26 $9.26

97.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$1.79 $1.79

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.55 $2.55

12.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$4.92 $4.92

-69.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$1.84 $1.84

-57.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$35.06 $35.06

-89.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$0.87 $0.87

71.26%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$27.5K $27.5K

-2.34%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

-0.03%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$144 $144

-32.23%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$47.46 $47.46

-76.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$50.9 $50.9

-66.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$44.26 $44.26

54.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$12.26 $12.26

-39.40%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$834 $834

-36.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$8,881 $8,881

111.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$47.09 $47.09

30.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$24.72 $24.72

14.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$89.9 $89.9

6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$85.6 $85.6

1.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$678 $678

6.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$546 $546

-6.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$1,719 $1,719

13.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$1,085 $1,085

28.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$1,267 $1,267

230.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$1,259 $1,259

162.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$5,496 $5,496

-91.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.37

-12.56%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Emporia, KS: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Emporia, KS

$547 35% 7.4% $38

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Emporia, KS

$308 19.8% 15.5% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Emporia, KS

$243 15.6% 92.2% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Emporia, KS

$111 7.1% 9.3% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Emporia, KS

$269 17.2% 125% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Emporia, KS

$69 4.4% 17.3% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Emporia, KS

$14 * 0.9% 78.6% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $678 in Emporia, KS. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Emporia, KS 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 $74 in Emporia, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $308 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Emporia, KS

🕒 Local time

06:13 6:13 AM

17:13 5:13 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

26,188

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Emporia, KS 14,650 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Emporia, KS

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 Emporia, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Emporia, KS costs about 21% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $2,341 in Emporia, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $721 in Phuket and $678 in Emporia, KS. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $74 in Emporia, KS. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Emporia, KS, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Emporia, KS at $1,561. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Emporia, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,294 in Phuket to $1,561 in Emporia, KS. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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