Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lombard, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,480 in Lombard, IL, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Lombard, IL
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Lombard, IL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Lombard, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lombard, IL

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 Lombard, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,480 in Lombard, IL.

Phuket $1,294
Lombard, IL $2,480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,798 in Lombard, IL.

Phuket $2,204
Lombard, IL $3,798

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $5,115 in Lombard, IL.

Phuket $3,115
Lombard, IL $5,115

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Lombard, IL is 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$19.72 $19.72

-77.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$75.6 $75.6

-57.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$11.59 $11.59

-24.94%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$6.15 $6.15

-55.77%

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

$0.93 ฿31.38

$2.76 $2.76

-66.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$2.58 $2.58

-80.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$7.05 $7.05

-64.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$5.93 $5.93

-38.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.01 $1.01

72.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$3.66 $3.66

-60.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$4.29 $4.29

-65.03%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$4.23 $4.23

-48.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$12.40 $12.40

53.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$11.46 $11.46

-70.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$17.01 $17.01

-35.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$5.03 $5.03

-41.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.66 $1.66

1.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$4.43 $4.43

-50.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.6

$4.75 $4.75

-55.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.19

$2.90 $2.90

-49.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.14

$2.89 $2.89

-52.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.29

$1.92 $1.92

-43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.40

$2.36 $2.36

-76.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$10.07 $10.07

-56.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$15.03 $15.03

21.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$3.33 $3.33

-13.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$2.13 $2.13

-31.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,851

$66.4 $66.4

-17.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.79 $3.79

-60.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.17

$1.64 $1.64

-52.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$25.60 $25.60

-85.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.26 $1.26

18.25%

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

$26.9K ฿906.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

5.00%

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

$26.3K ฿888.6K

$29.7K $29.7K

-11.16%

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

$97.8 ฿3,299

$217 $217

-54.88%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$58.4 $58.4

-80.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$69.3 $69.3

-75.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$39.36 $39.36

73.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$14.37 $14.37

-48.30%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$1,221 $1,221

-56.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.5K

$22.4K $22.4K

-15.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,080

$50.8 $50.8

21.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$39.19 $39.19

-27.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,238

$92.4 $92.4

3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,928

$130 $130

-33.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$1,420 $1,420

-49.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$1,105 $1,105

-53.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$2,254 $2,254

-13.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$2,119 $2,119

-34.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$3,111 $3,111

34.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$2,660 $2,660

24.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.59

-15.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Lombard, IL: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Lombard, IL

$1.1K 44.6% 117% $596

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Lombard, IL

$400 16.1% 49.9% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Lombard, IL

$344 13.9% 173% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Lombard, IL

$141 5.7% 14.6% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Lombard, IL

$335 13.5% 180% $215

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Lombard, IL

$68 2.8% 18.1% $15

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Lombard, IL

$87 3.5% 31.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,420 in Lombard, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $76 in Lombard, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $400 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Lombard, IL

🕒 Local time

16:23 4:23 PM

03:23 3:23 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

42,792

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.64 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 = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 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

Lowest

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Between locations

Phuket Lombard, IL 14,440 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Lombard, IL

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 Lombard, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $3,720 in Lombard, IL 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 $1,420 in Lombard, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lombard, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $76 in Lombard, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,480 in Lombard, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lombard, IL. 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 Lombard, IL 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 Lombard, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.