Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Los Ángeles

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Ángeles: $906 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Los Ángeles

🇨🇱 Chile

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Los Ángeles

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 Los Ángeles actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $906 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Los Ángeles $906

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,361 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Los Ángeles $1,361

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,816 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Los Ángeles $1,816

Phuket costs about 41% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Phuket and Los Ángeles are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Los Ángeles 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.01 CLP 11.9K

-62.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$25.27 CLP 24.9K

28.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.96 CLP 9,839

-11.55%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.06 CLP 2,030

37.38%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.48 CLP 1,465

-41.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.48 CLP 1,463

-66.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.60 CLP 2,572

-1.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.11 CLP 3,067

18.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.20 CLP 1,182

38.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$2.65 CLP 2,619

-44.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.86 CLP 2,819

-47.55%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$4.12 CLP 4,068

-49.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$8.19 CLP 8,090

132.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.57 CLP 10.4K

-68.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.00 CLP 13.8K

-22.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.65 CLP 2,614

10.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.60 CLP 1,576

5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.68 CLP 2,651

-16.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.18 CLP 2,153

-4.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$1.53 CLP 1,508

-1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$1.64 CLP 1,622

-15.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$1.36 CLP 1,347

-21.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.13 CLP 1,112

-53.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.40 CLP 5,337

-22.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$4.13 CLP 4,082

354.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.98 CLP 964

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.49 CLP 488

195.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.04 CLP 2,017

48.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.23 CLP 1,215

19.51%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$121 CLP 119.8K

-20.56%

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$19.87 CLP 19.6K

-15.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$81.3 CLP 80.3K

-17.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$10.17 CLP 10.0K

5.51%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.35 CLP 4,296

72.41%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$271 CLP 267.7K

164.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$219 CLP 216.5K

123.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$440 CLP 434.3K

338.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$341 CLP 337.2K

318.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Los Ángeles: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Los Ángeles

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Los Ángeles

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Los Ángeles

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Los Ángeles

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Los Ángeles

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Los Ángeles

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Los Ángeles

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $271 in Los Ángeles. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $25 in Los Ángeles. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $270 in Los Ángeles – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇱 Los Ángeles

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

05:59 5:59 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

143,023

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.13 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 987 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,102 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Los Ángeles 16,600 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Los Ángeles

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 Los Ángeles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 41% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,360 in Los Ángeles. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $271 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $906 in Los Ángeles. That makes Los Ángeles about 29% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $25 in Los Ángeles. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,278 in Phuket and $906 in Los Ángeles. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $906 in Los Ángeles to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.