Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jacksonville, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Jacksonville, FL, United States
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Jacksonville, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,487
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Jacksonville, FL $2,487

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,787 in Jacksonville, FL, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Jacksonville, FL $3,787

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,087 in Jacksonville, FL, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Jacksonville, FL $5,087

Phuket is about 49% cheaper than Jacksonville, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Jacksonville, FL is 83% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Jacksonville, FL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$19.69 $19.69
-77.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$102 $102
-68.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$11.37 $11.37
-22.52%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$5.58 $5.58
-49.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$3.11 $3.11
-72.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$2.18 $2.18
-77.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$4.98 $4.98
-48.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$7.19 $7.19
-48.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Jacksonville, FL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.00 $1.00
66.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$3.35 $3.35
-56.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$3.73 $3.73
-59.79%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.40 $4.40
-52.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$13.72 $13.72
38.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$9.57 $9.57
-65.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$16.24 $16.24
-32.82%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$4.82 $4.82
-39.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.42 $1.42
19.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$3.97 $3.97
-43.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$4.53 $4.53
-54.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.93 $2.93
-48.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$3.06 $3.06
-54.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$2.67 $2.67
-59.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$2.50 $2.50
-79.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$9.34 $9.34
-55.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$14.63 $14.63
28.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.05 $2.05
-11.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$3.21 $3.21
-11.53%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Jacksonville, FL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$1.77 $1.77
-18.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$64.5 $64.5
-12.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.51 $1.51
100.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$1.17 $1.17
-12.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$13.75 $13.75
-73.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.04 $1.04
41.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$31.3K $31.3K
-14.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$26.1K $26.1K
2.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Jacksonville, FL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$218 $218
-55.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$64.4 $64.4
-82.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$68.2 $68.2
-75.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Jacksonville, FL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$35.02 $35.02
91.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$6.49 $6.49
65.33%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$14.76 $14.76
-49.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Jacksonville, FL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$1,318 $1,318
-63.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$12.0K $12.0K
-6.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Jacksonville, FL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$64.1 $64.1
-2.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$47.85 $47.85
-40.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$112 $112
-15.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$151 $151
-43.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Jacksonville, FL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,651 $1,651
-56.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$1,118 $1,118
-56.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$2,590 $2,590
-25.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,963 $1,963
-27.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$2,356 $2,356
77.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$2,066 $2,066
47.40%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Jacksonville, FL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$4,010 $4,010
-87.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.69
-16.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jacksonville, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Jacksonville, FL
$1.1K 128% $627
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Jacksonville, FL
$386 45.2% $120
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Jacksonville, FL
$350 182% $226
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Jacksonville, FL
$169 38.5% $47
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Jacksonville, FL
$319 162% $197
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Jacksonville, FL
$65 21.5% $18
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Jacksonville, FL
$79 11.9% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,651 in Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville, FL are about 8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $102 in Jacksonville, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $386 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇺🇸 Jacksonville, FL
🕒 Local time
22:58 10:58 PM
10:58 10:58 AM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
949,611
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Jacksonville, FL 15,770 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Jacksonville, 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 Jacksonville, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Jacksonville, FL?
Jacksonville, FL costs about 95% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Jacksonville, FL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,730 in Jacksonville, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Jacksonville, FL?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,651 in Jacksonville, FL.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Jacksonville, FL?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $102 in Jacksonville, FL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Jacksonville, FL?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL. That makes Phuket about 49% cheaper.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Jacksonville, FL?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Jacksonville, FL at $2,487. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jacksonville, FL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Phuket or to Jacksonville, FL?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jacksonville, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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