Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fort Smith, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
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Fort Smith, AR Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fort Smith, AR

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 Smith, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR.

Phuket $1,278
Fort Smith, AR $1,951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR.

Phuket $2,216
Fort Smith, AR $2,992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR.

Phuket $3,154
Fort Smith, AR $4,033

Living in Phuket costs roughly 34% less than in Fort Smith, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Fort Smith, AR is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$20.20 $20.20

-77.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$64.6 $64.6

-49.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.43 $11.43

-22.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.32 $5.32

-46.80%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.39 $2.39

-63.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.00 $2.00

-75.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.96 $5.96

-57.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$9.04 $9.04

-59.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.95 $0.95

74.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$3.26 $3.26

-55.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.78 $3.78

-60.32%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.89 $2.89

-27.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$7.55 $7.55

152.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.76 $10.76

-69.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$19.61 $19.61

-44.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.77 $4.77

-38.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.45 $1.45

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.48 $2.48

-9.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.11 $2.11

-1.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.90 $1.90

-20.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.58 $1.58

-12.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.75 $1.75

-38.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$2.28 $2.28

-77.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$8.33 $8.33

-49.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$13.89 $13.89

35.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.82 $1.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.64 $2.64

7.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.22 $1.22

18.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$35.44 $35.44

59.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.68 $2.68

12.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.29 $1.29

-20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$29.99 $29.99

-87.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.76 $0.76

93.42%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

3.15%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.33%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$276 $276

-65.04%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$69.5 $69.5

-83.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$69.1 $69.1

-75.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$27.06 $27.06

148.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$16.22 $16.22

-33.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.52 $13.52

-44.53%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$918 $918

-48.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$23.5K $23.5K

-52.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$54.7 $54.7

13.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$41.77 $41.77

-31.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$91.8 $91.8

2.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$77.6 $77.6

10.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$683 $683

4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$646 $646

-24.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,536 $1,536

25.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,295 $1,295

10.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,557 $1,557

168.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,561 $1,561

95.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,154 $3,154

-84.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.38

-12.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Smith, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1% 31.6% $155

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6% 28.6% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2% 233% $290

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1% 1.9% $2.3

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7% 167% $204

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8% 34.2% $28

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5% 30% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays about 6.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $65 in Fort Smith, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $342 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🕒 Local time

12:21 12:21 PM

23:21 11:21 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

89,142

💱 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 2, 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Fort Smith, AR 15,020 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fort Smith, AR

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 Smith, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Fort Smith, AR. 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 $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR – Phuket is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fort Smith, AR runs roughly 37% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Fort Smith, AR. 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, Fort Smith, AR on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.