Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Houston, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,723 in Houston, MO, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
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Houston, MO Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Houston, MO

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 Houston, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,723 in Houston, MO.

Phuket $1,278
Houston, MO $2,723

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $4,001 in Houston, MO.

Phuket $2,216
Houston, MO $4,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,280 in Houston, MO.

Phuket $3,154
Houston, MO $5,280

Living in Phuket costs roughly 53% less than in Houston, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Houston, MO is 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$17.75 $17.75

-74.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$76.2 $76.2

-57.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.85 $11.85

-25.65%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.19 $5.19

-45.47%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$2.32 $2.32

-62.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.70 $1.70

-71.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.68 $5.68

-54.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.87 $6.87

-46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.24 $1.24

33.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$3.94 $3.94

-62.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$5.68 $5.68

-73.59%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.91 $3.91

-46.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$13.10 $13.10

45.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$15.55 $15.55

-78.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$20.90 $20.90

-47.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$8.32 $8.32

-64.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.30 $2.30

-26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$5.58 $5.58

-59.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$5.26 $5.26

-60.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$4.31 $4.31

-64.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$5.08 $5.08

-72.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$2.79 $2.79

-61.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$2.82 $2.82

-81.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$7.97 $7.97

-47.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.26 $15.26

23.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.80 $2.80

-35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.39 $3.39

-16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$1.73 $1.73

-16.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

$63.1 $63.1

-10.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.42 $3.42

-11.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$1.58 $1.58

-35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$40.50 $40.50

-90.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$0.98 $0.98

50.00%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$28.4K $28.4K

-5.86%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.40%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$243 $243

-60.27%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$68.3 $68.3

-83.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$75.7 $75.7

-77.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$36.13 $36.13

86.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.26 $14.26

-47.41%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,379 $1,379

-65.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$23.9K $23.9K

-52.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$58.7 $58.7

6.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$39.41 $39.41

-27.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$87.5 $87.5

7.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$118 $118

-27.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,375 $1,375

-47.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,262 $1,262

-61.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,531 $2,531

-23.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,108 $2,108

-32.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$2,479 $2,479

68.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,695 $2,695

12.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.72

-17.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Houston, MO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Houston, MO

$1.3K 46.4% 157% $771

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Houston, MO

$493 18.1% 85.3% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Houston, MO

$386 14.2% 211% $262

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Houston, MO

$136 5% 12% $15

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Houston, MO

$298 11% 145% $176

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Houston, MO

$65 2.4% 21.4% $18

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Houston, MO

$81 3% 15.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,375 in Houston, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $76 in Houston, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $493 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🕒 Local time

23:45 11:45 PM

10:45 10:45 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,304,580

💱 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 = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 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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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Houston, MO 14,870 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Houston, MO

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 Houston, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $4,084 in Houston, MO to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,375 in Houston, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 10% less than in Houston, MO. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,379 in Houston, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,723 in Houston, MO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Houston, MO. 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.