Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fargo, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,127 in Fargo, ND, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Fargo, ND, United States
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Fargo, ND
🇺🇸 United States
$2,127
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fargo, ND

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 Fargo, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,127 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Fargo, ND $2,127

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,227 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Fargo, ND $3,227

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,327 in Fargo, ND, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Fargo, ND $4,327

Phuket is about 40% cheaper than Fargo, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Fargo, ND is 56% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Fargo, ND
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$17.17 $17.17
-73.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$59.0 $59.0
-45.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$11.95 $11.95
-26.28%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.2
$5.41 $5.41
-47.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.36
$2.56 $2.56
-66.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.63
$1.94 $1.94
-74.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$5.36 $5.36
-52.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$8.83 $8.83
-58.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Fargo, ND
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.23 $1.23
34.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.24
$3.40 $3.40
-57.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$7.63 $7.63
-80.34%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$4.08 $4.08
-48.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$14.93 $14.93
27.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$15.52 $15.52
-78.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$21.08 $21.08
-48.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$10.28 $10.28
-71.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$2.34 $2.34
-27.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$6.51 $6.51
-65.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿69.9
$5.40 $5.40
-61.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$5.10 $5.10
-70.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.45
$3.76 $3.76
-63.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.90
$1.95 $1.95
-45.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.48
$2.74 $2.74
-81.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$8.60 $8.60
-51.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$18.58 $18.58
1.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$2.62 $2.62
-30.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$5.63 $5.63
-49.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Fargo, ND
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.91
$2.03 $2.03
-28.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$42.10 $42.10
34.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$4.58 $4.58
-34.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.28
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.69
$0.97 $0.97
51.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.1K
$27.4K $27.4K
-2.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.2K
$25.3K $25.3K
5.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Fargo, ND
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,246
$138 $138
-30.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$58.1 $58.1
-80.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$56.5 $56.5
-70.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Fargo, ND
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,265
$52.0 $52.0
29.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$13.96 $13.96
-46.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Fargo, ND
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$1,247 $1,247
-61.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Fargo, ND
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,101
$49.85 $49.85
25.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$47.16 $47.16
-39.76%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,177
$84.2 $84.2
12.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,891
$101 $101
-14.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Fargo, ND
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$1,013 $1,013
-29.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$790 $790
-37.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$1,627 $1,627
18.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$1,363 $1,363
4.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$2,459 $2,459
69.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
$1,688 $1,688
80.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Fargo, ND
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$3,858 $3,858
-86.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.43
-13.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Fargo, ND
$790 60.9% $299
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Fargo, ND
$522 96.2% $256
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Fargo, ND
$253 103% $128
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Fargo, ND
$127 4.1% $5
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Fargo, ND
$300 147% $179
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Fargo, ND
$80 2.9% $2.4
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Fargo, ND
$55 * 22.4% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,013 in Fargo, ND. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Fargo, ND are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $59 in Fargo, ND. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $522 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇺🇸 Fargo, ND
🕒 Local time
00:45 12:45 AM
12:45 12:45 PM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
90,056
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Fargo, ND 13,740 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Fargo, ND

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 Fargo, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Fargo, ND?
Fargo, ND costs about 66% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Fargo, ND?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,191 in Fargo, ND. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Fargo, ND?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,013 in Fargo, ND.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Fargo, ND?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $59 in Fargo, ND. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Fargo, ND?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,127 in Fargo, ND. That makes Phuket about 40% cheaper.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Fargo, ND?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Fargo, ND at $2,127. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fargo, ND it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Fargo, ND?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $2,127 in Fargo, ND. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Phuket compared to Fargo, ND?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Phuket or to Fargo, ND?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fargo, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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