Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Goose Creek, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,471 in Goose Creek, SC, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Goose Creek, SC
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Goose Creek, SC Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Goose Creek, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,471

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Goose Creek, SC

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 Goose Creek, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,471 in Goose Creek, SC.

Phuket $1,294
Goose Creek, SC $2,471

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,428 in Goose Creek, SC.

Phuket $2,204
Goose Creek, SC $3,428

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $4,384 in Goose Creek, SC.

Phuket $3,115
Goose Creek, SC $4,384

Living in Phuket costs roughly 48% less than in Goose Creek, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Goose Creek, SC is 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$16.15 $16.15

-72.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$60.4 $60.4

-46.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$10.89 $10.89

-20.11%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$4.95 $4.95

-45.05%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$2.73 $2.73

-65.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$2.03 $2.03

-75.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$5.06 $5.06

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$5.95 $5.95

-38.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$0.85 $0.85

104.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$3.02 $3.02

-51.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.34 $3.34

-55.09%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$2.82 $2.82

-23.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$12.55 $12.55

52.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$14.76 $14.76

-76.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$13.56 $13.56

-19.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$5.40 $5.40

-45.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.45 $1.45

16.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$4.54 $4.54

-51.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$4.55 $4.55

-53.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$3.73 $3.73

-60.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$3.12 $3.12

-56.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$1.97 $1.97

-45.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$1.73 $1.73

-68.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$7.89 $7.89

-43.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$11.79 $11.79

54.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$2.42 $2.42

-26.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$3.75 $3.75

-23.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$2.03 $2.03

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$59.3 $59.3

-7.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$3.52 $3.52

-57.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$1.53 $1.53

-49.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$24.86 $24.86

-84.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$0.88 $0.88

69.32%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$28.5K $28.5K

-5.59%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.73%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$178 $178

-45.19%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$67.3 $67.3

-83.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$79.9 $79.9

-78.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$44.01 $44.01

55.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$18.31 $18.31

-40.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$10.57 $10.57

-29.71%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$637 $637

-16.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$13.1K $13.1K

43.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$47.33 $47.33

30.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$37.52 $37.52

-24.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$83.2 $83.2

15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$98.7 $98.7

-12.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,373 $1,373

-47.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,223 $1,223

-58.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$1,948 $1,948

0.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$1,680 $1,680

-16.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$2,080 $2,080

101.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$2,100 $2,100

57.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$2,974 $2,974

-83.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.33

-12.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Goose Creek, SC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Goose Creek, SC

$1.2K 49.5% 140% $714

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Goose Creek, SC

$381 15.4% 42.9% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Goose Creek, SC

$326 13.2% 158% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Goose Creek, SC

$120 4.9% 2.2% $2.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Goose Creek, SC

$278 11.2% 132% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Goose Creek, SC

$65 2.6% 21.7% $18

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Goose Creek, SC

$79 3.2% 18.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,373 in Goose Creek, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Goose Creek, SC pays about 6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $60 in Goose Creek, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $381 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Goose Creek, SC

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

17:17 5:17 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

35,938

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Goose Creek, SC 15,470 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Goose Creek, SC

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 Goose Creek, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Goose Creek, SC. 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 83% 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,373 in Goose Creek, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $60 in Goose Creek, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $2,471 in Goose Creek, SC – Phuket is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,471 in Goose Creek, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Goose Creek, SC. 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Goose Creek, SC are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Goose Creek, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.