Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fort Collins, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Fort Collins, CO, United States
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Fort Collins, CO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,816
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Fort Collins, CO $2,816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,951 in Fort Collins, CO.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Fort Collins, CO $3,951

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,085 in Fort Collins, CO.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Fort Collins, CO $5,085

Living in Phuket costs roughly 55% less than in Fort Collins, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Fort Collins, CO is 107% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$22.88 $22.88
-80.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$79.0 $79.0
-59.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$11.24 $11.24
-21.62%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$6.22 $6.22
-54.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.40
$2.54 $2.54
-65.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$2.06 $2.06
-76.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$7.05 $7.05
-63.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$6.89 $6.89
-46.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.03 $1.03
61.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.29
$2.99 $2.99
-51.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.79 $2.79
-46.24%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.13 $4.13
-49.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$11.15 $11.15
71.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$9.23 $9.23
-64.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$19.48 $19.48
-43.99%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.8
$4.98 $4.98
-41.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.52 $1.52
11.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$4.81 $4.81
-53.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$5.35 $5.35
-61.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$3.58 $3.58
-57.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.51
$4.66 $4.66
-70.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.95
$2.33 $2.33
-54.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.50
$1.78 $1.78
-70.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$10.32 $10.32
-59.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$16.64 $16.64
12.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$2.47 $2.47
-26.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.71 $2.71
4.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.97
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,911
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.43 $2.43
24.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.32
$1.90 $1.90
-46.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$24.61 $24.61
-85.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.75
$1.02 $1.02
44.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.2K
$28.4K $28.4K
-5.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.3K
$26.2K $26.2K
2.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,250
$210 $210
-54.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$56.6 $56.6
-80.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$70.6 $70.6
-76.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$51.8 $51.8
29.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$29.76 $29.76
-63.94%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$11.96 $11.96
-37.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$1,288 $1,288
-63.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.9K
$12.6K $12.6K
-10.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,103
$59.1 $59.1
5.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$68.5 $68.5
-58.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,180
$81.6 $81.6
15.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,894
$114 $114
-24.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$1,817 $1,817
-60.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$1,499 $1,499
-67.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$2,837 $2,837
-32.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$2,143 $2,143
-33.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.8K
$4,076 $4,076
2.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$2,793 $2,793
8.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Fort Collins, CO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$4,503 $4,503
-88.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.77
-17.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Fort Collins, CO
$1.5K 205% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Fort Collins, CO
$388 45.7% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Fort Collins, CO
$337 171% $213
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Fort Collins, CO
$145 19.3% $24
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Fort Collins, CO
$359 195% $237
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Fort Collins, CO
$76 7.9% $6.5
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Fort Collins, CO
$12 * 83.1% $59

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 $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Collins, CO pays about 9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $79 in Fort Collins, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $388 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO
🕒 Local time
01:25 1:25 AM
11:25 11:25 AM
14 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
148,612
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Fort Collins, CO 14,110 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Fort Collins, CO?
Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Fort Collins, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Fort Collins, CO?
On paper, salaries run 89% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Fort Collins, CO?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Fort Collins, CO?
Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Fort Collins, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Fort Collins, CO?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO – Phuket is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Fort Collins, CO?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fort Collins, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Fort Collins, CO?
Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value at $1,278 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.
How safe is Phuket compared to Fort Collins, CO?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Fort Collins, CO are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Phuket or to Fort Collins, CO?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Fort Collins, CO on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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