Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fort Walton Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,174 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Fort Walton Beach, FL
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Fort Walton Beach, FL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Fort Walton Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,174

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fort Walton Beach, 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 Walton Beach, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,174 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Fort Walton Beach, FL $2,174

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,364 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Fort Walton Beach, FL $3,364

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,554 in Fort Walton Beach, FL, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Fort Walton Beach, FL $4,554

Phuket is about 41% cheaper than Fort Walton Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Fort Walton Beach, FL is 60% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$15.19 $15.19

-70.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$78.8 $78.8

-58.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.41 $10.41

-15.37%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.35 $5.35

-47.10%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$2.71 $2.71

-67.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$2.07 $2.07

-76.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.07 $5.07

-49.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.06 $7.06

-47.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.85 $2.85

-48.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.00 $2.00

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.98 $2.98

-29.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.32 $11.32

68.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$9.91 $9.91

-66.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$13.98 $13.98

-21.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.45 $3.45

-15.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.57 $1.57

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.24 $3.24

-30.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.94 $2.94

-29.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.46 $1.46

3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$2.07 $2.07

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.67 $1.67

-35.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.49 $1.49

-65.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$8.95 $8.95

-53.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.64 $8.64

117.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.84 $1.84

-1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.06 $2.06

37.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$1.98 $1.98

-26.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$49.46 $49.46

14.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$5.93 $5.93

-49.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.84 $1.84

-44.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$44.95 $44.95

-91.79%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

2.66%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.75%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$171 $171

-43.66%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$49.01 $49.01

-77.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$64.7 $64.7

-73.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$47.37 $47.37

41.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.77 $13.77

-45.53%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$829 $829

-42.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$13.8K $13.8K

-18.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$29.98 $29.98

108.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$20.32 $20.32

39.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$97.7 $97.7

-3.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$107 $107

-19.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,654 $1,654

-56.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,049 $1,049

-53.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,872 $2,872

-32.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,022 $2,022

-29.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$4,673 $4,673

-10.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$4,677 $4,677

-34.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,346 $3,346

-84.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.42

-13.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Walton Beach, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$1K 48.3% 114% $559

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$302 13.9% 13.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$285 13.1% 129% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$115 5.3% 5.9% $7.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$275 12.7% 126% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$75 3.5% 8.9% $7.3

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Fort Walton Beach, FL

$72 3.3% 2.7% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,654 in Fort Walton Beach, 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 Walton Beach, FL are about 6.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $79 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $302 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Fort Walton Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

03:50 3:50 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

19,507

💱 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 Fort Walton Beach, FL 15,720 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fort Walton Beach, 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 Walton Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $2,174 in Fort Walton Beach, FL – Phuket comes out roughly 41% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,261 in Fort Walton Beach, 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 $1,654 in Fort Walton Beach, FL.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Fort Walton Beach, FL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $79 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Fort Walton Beach, FL at $2,174. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Walton Beach, 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 Walton Beach, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.