Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lakewood, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $3,124 in Lakewood, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 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
150

Cost of Living Index in Lakewood, WA
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Lakewood, WA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,124

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lakewood, WA

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 Lakewood, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $3,124 in Lakewood, WA.

Phuket $1,294
Lakewood, WA $3,124

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $4,566 in Lakewood, WA.

Phuket $2,204
Lakewood, WA $4,566

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $6,008 in Lakewood, WA.

Phuket $3,115
Lakewood, WA $6,008

Living in Phuket costs roughly 59% less than in Lakewood, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Lakewood, WA is 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$18.23 $18.23

-75.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$67.3 $67.3

-51.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$12.52 $12.52

-30.51%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$5.22 $5.22

-47.89%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$2.89 $2.89

-67.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$2.02 $2.02

-75.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$4.02 $4.02

-37.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$6.17 $6.17

-41.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.07 $1.07

62.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$3.59 $3.59

-59.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.25 $4.25

-64.71%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.90 $3.90

-44.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$13.63 $13.63

40.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$8.71 $8.71

-60.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$11.14 $11.14

-2.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$4.36 $4.36

-32.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.00 $2.00

-15.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$4.16 $4.16

-47.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$4.52 $4.52

-53.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$2.00 $2.00

-27.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$2.25 $2.25

-39.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$2.03 $2.03

-46.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$2.37 $2.37

-76.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$12.44 $12.44

-64.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$16.07 $16.07

13.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$1.99 $1.99

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$4.21 $4.21

-31.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$2.01 $2.01

-27.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$60.6 $60.6

-9.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.95 $1.95

-22.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$0.65 $0.65

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$30.89 $30.89

-87.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.39 $1.39

7.19%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$28.3K $28.3K

-5.13%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.00%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$295 $295

-66.84%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$72.5 $72.5

-84.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$89.3 $89.3

-80.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$40.25 $40.25

69.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$25.18 $25.18

-56.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$17.97 $17.97

-58.65%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$2,011 $2,011

-73.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$12.3K $12.3K

53.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$50.5 $50.5

22.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$37.55 $37.55

-24.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$101 $101

-5.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$136 $136

-35.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,942 $1,942

-62.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,705 $1,705

-70.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$3,351 $3,351

-41.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$3,057 $3,057

-54.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$3,116 $3,116

34.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$2,342 $2,342

40.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.68

-16.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lakewood, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 54.6% 235% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Lakewood, WA

$368 11.8% 37.8% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Lakewood, WA

$457 14.6% 262% $330

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.7% 19.1% $23

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Lakewood, WA

$298 9.5% 149% $179

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Lakewood, WA

$76 2.4% 8.4% $7

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Lakewood, WA

$74 2.4% 11.7% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,942 in Lakewood, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $67 in Lakewood, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $368 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

08:08 8:08 AM

15 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

140,024

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Lakewood, WA 12,690 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Lakewood, WA

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 Lakewood, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $3,124 in Lakewood, WA, so Phuket is about 59% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $4,685 in Lakewood, WA 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,942 in Lakewood, WA. 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 $67 in Lakewood, WA. 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 $3,124 in Lakewood, WA – Phuket is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $3,124 in Lakewood, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lakewood, WA. 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 59% less than in Lakewood, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.