Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fairbanks, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,000 in Fairbanks, AK, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Fairbanks, AK
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Fairbanks, AK Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Fairbanks, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$3,000

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fairbanks, AK

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 Fairbanks, AK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $3,000 in Fairbanks, AK, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Fairbanks, AK $3,000

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $4,408 in Fairbanks, AK, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Fairbanks, AK $4,408

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $5,816 in Fairbanks, AK, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Fairbanks, AK $5,816

Phuket is about 60% cheaper than Fairbanks, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Fairbanks, AK is 121% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$25.10 $25.10

-82.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$99.1 $99.1

-67.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$15.27 $15.27

-42.63%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$6.07 $6.07

-53.38%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.68 $2.68

-66.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.04 $2.04

-76.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$6.83 $6.83

-62.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$10.07 $10.07

-61.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.13 $1.13

53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$5.38 $5.38

-72.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$4.78 $4.78

-68.41%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.36 $4.36

-50.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$21.93 $21.93

-10.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$8.66 $8.66

-61.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$20.87 $20.87

-46.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$7.54 $7.54

-62.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$2.17 $2.17

-21.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$6.03 $6.03

-63.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$6.24 $6.24

-67.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$3.57 $3.57

-59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$3.69 $3.69

-62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$2.78 $2.78

-61.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.02 $2.02

-74.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$12.10 $12.10

-64.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$12.20 $12.20

52.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.77 $1.77

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.52 $1.52

48.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$40.60 $40.60

-45.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.60 $3.60

-16.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$2.16 $2.16

-50.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$44.97 $44.97

-91.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.28 $1.28

13.28%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.47%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$24.7K $24.7K

9.03%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$212 $212

-54.60%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$61.3 $61.3

-81.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$139 $139

-87.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$98.0 $98.0

-46.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$18.10 $18.10

-56.85%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$1,845 $1,845

-69.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$59.4 $59.4

8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$39.78 $39.78

-27.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$120 $120

-20.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$119 $119

-26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$1,612 $1,612

-54.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$1,381 $1,381

-66.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,580 $2,580

-18.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$2,230 $2,230

-46.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,244 $2,244

55.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,000 $2,000

26.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$3,941 $3,941

-87.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.71

-16.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fairbanks, AK: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Fairbanks, AK

$1.4K 46% 199% $918

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Fairbanks, AK

$466 * 15.5% 73.5% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Fairbanks, AK

$413 13.8% 232% $288

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Fairbanks, AK

$152 5.1% 22.5% $28

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Fairbanks, AK

$393 13.1% 224% $271

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Fairbanks, AK

$134 4.5% 98% $66

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Fairbanks, AK

$61 2% 54.8% $22

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $1,612 in Fairbanks, AK. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 687% higher in Fairbanks, AK, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $99.0 in Fairbanks, AK. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $466 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Fairbanks, AK

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

07:40 7:40 AM

15 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

32,515

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Fairbanks, AK 10,300 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fairbanks, AK

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 Fairbanks, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Fairbanks, AK is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $4,500 in Fairbanks, AK. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 74% more in Fairbanks, AK, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $99.0 in Fairbanks, AK. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Fairbanks, AK at $3,000. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fairbanks, AK 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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