Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Madison, WI

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 Madison, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $2,931 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Madison, WI $2,931

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $4,224 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Madison, WI $4,224

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $5,517 in Madison, WI, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Madison, WI $5,517

Phuket is about 56% cheaper than Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Madison, WI is 117% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$19.92 $19.92

-77.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$65.0 $65.0

-50.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$13.17 $13.17

-33.94%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$5.66 $5.66

-51.94%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$3.02 $3.02

-69.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$2.45 $2.45

-79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$6.62 $6.62

-61.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.72 $7.72

-52.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.95 $0.95

83.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$3.17 $3.17

-54.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$4.18 $4.18

-64.11%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$3.72 $3.72

-41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$14.49 $14.49

31.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$12.15 $12.15

-72.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$20.36 $20.36

-46.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$4.59 $4.59

-35.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$1.62 $1.62

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$4.95 $4.95

-55.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$4.67 $4.67

-54.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$2.61 $2.61

-44.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$2.83 $2.83

-51.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$2.08 $2.08

-48.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$2.24 $2.24

-75.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$10.89 $10.89

-59.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

$15.73 $15.73

16.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$2.68 $2.68

-33.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

$4.40 $4.40

-34.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.94 $1.94

-25.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

$65.5 $65.5

-16.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$3.91 $3.91

-61.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

$1.96 $1.96

-60.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$44.61 $44.61

-91.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$1.07 $1.07

39.25%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

$30.3K $30.3K

-11.31%

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

$25.5K $25.5K

3.28%

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$266 $266

-63.21%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$45.57 $45.57

-75.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$80.5 $80.5

-78.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

$51.6 $51.6

32.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$10.12 $10.12

7.91%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$14.70 $14.70

-49.46%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$1,594 $1,594

-66.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

$21.6K $21.6K

-13.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

$63.4 $63.4

-2.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

$46.65 $46.65

-39.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

$108 $108

-10.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

$121 $121

-28.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$1,723 $1,723

-58.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$1,465 $1,465

-65.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

$3,146 $3,146

-38.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$2,438 $2,438

-42.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

$4,429 $4,429

-5.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

$2,478 $2,478

33.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$4,430 $4,430

-88.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.81

-18.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Madison, WI: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Madison, WI

$1.5K 50% 188% $956

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Madison, WI

$416 14.2% 56% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Madison, WI

$392 13.4% 210% $266

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Madison, WI

$152 5.2% 24.2% $30

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Madison, WI

$337 11.5% 182% $218

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Madison, WI

$81 2.8% 2.6% $2.2

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Madison, WI

$87 3% 31.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $1,723 in Madison, WI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Madison, WI are about 9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $65 in Madison, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $416 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

08:22 8:22 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

248,951

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Madison, WI 14,290 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Madison, WI

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 Madison, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Phuket, $2,931 in Madison, WI – Phuket comes out roughly 56% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $4,396 in Madison, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $1,723 in Madison, WI.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $1,594 in Madison, WI. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Madison, WI at $2,931. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madison, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,294 in Phuket to $2,931 in Madison, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.