Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fullerton, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Fullerton, CA
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Fullerton, CA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Fullerton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,507

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fullerton, CA

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 Fullerton, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Fullerton, CA $3,507

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $5,392 in Fullerton, CA, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Fullerton, CA $5,392

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $7,276 in Fullerton, CA, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Fullerton, CA $7,276

Phuket is about 66% cheaper than Fullerton, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Fullerton, CA is 159% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$25.09 $25.09

-82.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$78.9 $78.9

-59.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$11.35 $11.35

-22.82%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$5.72 $5.72

-50.52%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.81 $2.81

-67.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.05 $2.05

-77.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$7.88 $7.88

-67.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$9.81 $9.81

-60.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.41 $1.41

22.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$5.10 $5.10

-71.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$4.34 $4.34

-65.21%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$5.06 $5.06

-57.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$12.26 $12.26

60.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$8.63 $8.63

-61.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$15.69 $15.69

-28.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$4.70 $4.70

-39.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.72 $1.72

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$4.02 $4.02

-45.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$6.40 $6.40

-67.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$3.57 $3.57

-59.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$3.31 $3.31

-58.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$2.11 $2.11

-49.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.55 $2.55

-80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$11.66 $11.66

-63.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$15.13 $15.13

22.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.74 $1.74

2.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$3.25 $3.25

-12.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.30 $2.30

-1.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$64.6 $64.6

-65.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$4.44 $4.44

-32.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.89 $1.89

-43.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$36.21 $36.21

-89.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.48 $1.48

-2.03%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

-3.33%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.64%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$213 $213

-54.73%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$84.5 $84.5

-86.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$73.2 $73.2

-76.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$40.78 $40.78

27.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$12.13 $12.13

-35.61%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$1,391 $1,391

-60.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$43.3K $43.3K

-73.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$75.0 $75.0

-14.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$40.26 $40.26

-28.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$88.4 $88.4

7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$120 $120

-26.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$2,588 $2,588

-71.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$2,043 $2,043

-77.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$4,005 $4,005

-47.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$4,069 $4,069

-70.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$5,472 $5,472

-36.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$4,578 $4,578

-89.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.31

-11.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fullerton, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Fullerton, CA

$2K 58.3% 342% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Fullerton, CA

$413 11.8% 53.8% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Fullerton, CA

$371 10.6% 198% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Fullerton, CA

$146 4.2% 17.1% $21

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Fullerton, CA

$382 10.9% 215% $261

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Fullerton, CA

$65 1.9% 4% $2.7

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Fullerton, CA

$88 2.5% 122% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $2,588 in Fullerton, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 814% higher in Fullerton, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $79.0 in Fullerton, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $413 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Fullerton, CA

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

05:29 5:29 AM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

135,161

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Phuket Fullerton, CA 14,000 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fullerton, CA

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 Fullerton, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,208 in Phuket, $3,507 in Fullerton, CA – roughly 190% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $5,260 in Fullerton, CA. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $1,391 in Fullerton, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Fullerton, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Fullerton, CA at $3,507. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fullerton, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $3,507 in Fullerton, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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