Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fort Lauderdale, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 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
166

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lauderdale, FL
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Fort Lauderdale, FL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Fort Lauderdale, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,414

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fort Lauderdale, FL

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 Lauderdale, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $3,414 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Fort Lauderdale, FL $3,414

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $5,025 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Fort Lauderdale, FL $5,025

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $6,636 in Fort Lauderdale, FL, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,636

Phuket is about 63% cheaper than Fort Lauderdale, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Fort Lauderdale, FL is 151% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$29.40 $29.40

-84.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$99.7 $99.7

-67.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$14.55 $14.55

-39.45%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.10 $5.10

-44.51%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.99 $2.99

-70.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.17 $2.17

-77.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.13 $6.13

-58.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.93 $6.93

-46.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$5.03 $5.03

-70.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.75 $3.75

-60.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.90 $4.90

-57.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$17.22 $17.22

10.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.33 $10.33

-68.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$26.42 $26.42

-58.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$6.47 $6.47

-54.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.95 $1.95

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.36 $4.36

-48.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$5.33 $5.33

-60.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.89 $2.89

-47.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$3.17 $3.17

-56.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.66 $2.66

-59.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.79 $1.79

-70.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$9.52 $9.52

-55.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$11.81 $11.81

59.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.00 $3.00

-39.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.12 $2.12

33.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$2.05 $2.05

-29.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$71.0 $71.0

-20.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.01 $4.01

-24.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.81 $1.81

-43.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$23.92 $23.92

-84.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.02 $1.02

44.12%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$28.3K $28.3K

-5.45%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.24%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$212 $212

-54.51%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$64.8 $64.8

-82.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$80.7 $80.7

-79.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$42.90 $42.90

56.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$14.34 $14.34

-25.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$17.92 $17.92

-58.15%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,026 $1,026

-53.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$41.2K $41.2K

-72.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$46.35 $46.35

34.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$41.77 $41.77

-31.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$87.5 $87.5

7.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$116 $116

-26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$2,687 $2,687

-73.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,893 $1,893

-74.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$4,985 $4,985

-61.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$3,168 $3,168

-54.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$5,795 $5,795

-27.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$4,254 $4,254

-28.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$4,757 $4,757

-89.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.63

-15.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Lauderdale, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$1.9K 55.5% 286% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$456 13.4% 71.2% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$357 10.5% 187% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$131 3.9% 7.8% $9.5

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$405 11.9% 233% $284

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$79 2.3% 4.3% $3.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Fort Lauderdale, FL

$92 2.7% 30.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Fort Lauderdale, FL are about 9.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $100 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $456 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Fort Lauderdale, FL

🕒 Local time

17:27 5:27 PM

05:27 5:27 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

165,521

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

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

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Phuket Fort Lauderdale, FL 16,230 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fort Lauderdale, FL

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 Lauderdale, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Lauderdale, FL costs about 167% 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 $1,917 per month in Phuket and $5,121 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $2,687 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $1,026 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Fort Lauderdale, FL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Fort Lauderdale, FL at $3,414. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Lauderdale, FL 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.

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