Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Idaho Falls, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,315 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Idaho Falls, ID, United States
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Idaho Falls, ID
🇺🇸 United States
$2,315
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Idaho Falls, ID

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 Idaho Falls, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,315 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Idaho Falls, ID $2,315

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,380 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Idaho Falls, ID $3,380

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,446 in Idaho Falls, ID, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Idaho Falls, ID $4,446

Phuket is about 45% cheaper than Idaho Falls, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Idaho Falls, ID is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Idaho Falls, ID
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$17.72 $17.72
-74.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$51.9 $51.9
-37.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$10.09 $10.09
-12.69%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$5.02 $5.02
-43.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$2.27 $2.27
-61.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$1.55 $1.55
-68.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$4.11 $4.11
-37.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$7.10 $7.10
-48.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Idaho Falls, ID
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$0.72 $0.72
130.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$3.92 $3.92
-62.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$2.97 $2.97
-49.49%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.12 $4.12
-49.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$11.68 $11.68
63.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$6.41 $6.41
-48.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$9.79 $9.79
11.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.18 $2.18
34.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.26 $1.26
34.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.07 $2.07
8.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$2.14 $2.14
-2.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.68 $1.68
-10.12%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$2.46 $2.46
-43.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.86 $1.86
-42.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$1.88 $1.88
-72.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$10.36 $10.36
-59.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$7.34 $7.34
155.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.77 $1.77
2.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.53 $1.53
85.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Idaho Falls, ID
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$3.05 $3.05
-52.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.53 $2.53
19.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$2.35 $2.35
-56.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$25.09 $25.09
-85.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.11 $1.11
32.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$34.3K $34.3K
-21.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$26.1K $26.1K
2.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Idaho Falls, ID
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$173 $173
-44.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$52.7 $52.7
-78.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$63.9 $63.9
-73.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Idaho Falls, ID
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$38.67 $38.67
73.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$11.42 $11.42
-34.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Idaho Falls, ID
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$957 $957
-50.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$20.6K $20.6K
-45.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Idaho Falls, ID
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$41.75 $41.75
49.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$44.87 $44.87
-36.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$70.2 $70.2
34.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$96.4 $96.4
-10.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Idaho Falls, ID
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,323 $1,323
-45.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$1,266 $1,266
-61.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$2,073 $2,073
-7.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$2,207 $2,207
-35.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$1,923 $1,923
117.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$1,946 $1,946
56.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Idaho Falls, ID
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$3,499 $3,499
-85.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.12
-8.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Idaho Falls, ID: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Idaho Falls, ID
$1.3K 158% $775
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Idaho Falls, ID
$275 3.4% $9.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Idaho Falls, ID
$289 132% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Idaho Falls, ID
$114 6.5% $8
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Idaho Falls, ID
$282 132% $161
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Idaho Falls, ID
$62 25.2% $21
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Idaho Falls, ID
$26 * 62.5% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,323 in Idaho Falls, ID. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Idaho Falls, ID are about 7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $52 in Idaho Falls, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $275 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇺🇸 Idaho Falls, ID
🕒 Local time
05:14 5:14 AM
16:14 4:14 PM
13 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
61,459
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Idaho Falls, ID 13,530 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Idaho Falls, ID

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 Idaho Falls, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Idaho Falls, ID?
Yes – Idaho Falls, ID is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,472 in Idaho Falls, ID. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,323 in Idaho Falls, ID.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Idaho Falls, ID?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,315 in Idaho Falls, ID. That makes Phuket about 45% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $957 in Idaho Falls, ID. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Idaho Falls, ID?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Idaho Falls, ID at $2,315. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Idaho Falls, ID it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Idaho Falls, ID more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Idaho Falls, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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