Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Florence, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,285 in Florence, SC, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Florence, SC
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Florence, SC Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Florence, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Florence, SC

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 Florence, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,285 in Florence, SC.

Phuket $1,278
Florence, SC $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,220 in Florence, SC.

Phuket $2,216
Florence, SC $3,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,156 in Florence, SC.

Phuket $3,154
Florence, SC $4,156

Living in Phuket costs roughly 44% less than in Florence, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Florence, SC is 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$15.27 $15.27

-70.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$63.7 $63.7

-49.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.06 $11.06

-20.34%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.87 $4.87

-41.89%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$2.54 $2.54

-65.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.99 $1.99

-75.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.02 $5.02

-49.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.87 $6.87

-46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$4.14 $4.14

-64.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$5.81 $5.81

-74.18%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$5.32 $5.32

-60.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.54 $11.54

65.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$14.48 $14.48

-77.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$24.86 $24.86

-56.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$6.70 $6.70

-56.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.73 $1.73

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$7.01 $7.01

-67.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.14 $6.14

-66.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$4.14 $4.14

-63.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$5.92 $5.92

-76.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$2.30 $2.30

-53.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$3.18 $3.18

-83.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$8.82 $8.82

-52.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.73 $14.73

27.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.98 $1.98

-8.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$6.00 $6.00

-52.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$7.04 $7.04

-57.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.91 $1.91

-46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.95 $0.95

54.74%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.59%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.35%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$289 $289

-66.62%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$56.1 $56.1

-79.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$40.71 $40.71

-58.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$15.27 $15.27

-50.88%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,344 $1,344

-64.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$40.44 $40.44

54.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$30.16 $30.16

-5.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$106 $106

-11.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$71.2 $71.2

20.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$981 $981

-27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$966 $966

-49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,512 $1,512

27.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,342 $1,342

6.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,586 $1,586

163.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,616 $1,616

88.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,094 $3,094

-83.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.57

-15.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Florence, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Florence, SC

$967 42.3% 96.9% $476

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Florence, SC

$503 22% 89% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Florence, SC

$385 16.9% 210% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Florence, SC

$112 4.9% 8.4% $10

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Florence, SC

$271 11.9% 122% $149

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Florence, SC

$31 * 1.3% 62.9% $52

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Florence, SC

$17 * 0.7% 76.5% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $981 in Florence, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florence, SC pays about 6.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $64 in Florence, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $503 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Florence, SC

🕒 Local time

22:11 10:11 PM

10:11 10:11 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

40,184

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Florence, SC 15,330 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Florence, SC

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 Florence, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Florence, SC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 84% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $981 in Florence, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,344 in Florence, SC. 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 $64 in Florence, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,285 in Florence, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Florence, SC. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Florence, SC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.