Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Midland, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,065 in Midland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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

Midland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,065

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Midland, TX

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 Midland, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,065 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Midland, TX $2,065

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,941 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Midland, TX $2,941

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,818 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Midland, TX $3,818

Phuket is about 38% cheaper than Midland, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Midland, TX is 52% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$16.09 $16.09

-72.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$54.6 $54.6

-40.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$10.03 $10.03

-12.16%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.16 $5.16

-45.16%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$4.65 $4.65

-81.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$4.19 $4.19

-88.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$9.89 $9.89

-74.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$12.14 $12.14

-69.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.77 $0.77

115.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$3.39 $3.39

-56.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.49 $4.49

-66.59%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.98 $2.98

-29.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$10.84 $10.84

75.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.12 $1.12

50.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.72 $1.72

-37.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$2.04 $2.04

-74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$11.17 $11.17

-62.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$14.77 $14.77

27.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.78 $1.78

2.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.26 $1.26

15.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$37.28 $37.28

51.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.86 $0.86

70.93%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.47%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.77%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

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

$11.26 ฿380

$53.9 $53.9

-79.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$71.2 $71.2

-76.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$13.36 $13.36

403.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$12.37 $12.37

-39.37%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$79.1 $79.1

-21.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$30.36 $30.36

-6.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$148 $148

-36.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$149 $149

-42.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,713 $1,713

-58.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,166 $1,166

-57.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,593 $2,593

-25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,784 $1,784

-19.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,337 $2,337

78.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,863 $1,863

63.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$5,445 $5,445

-90.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.92

-19.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Midland, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Midland, TX

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Midland, TX

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Midland, TX

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Midland, TX

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Midland, TX

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Midland, TX

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Midland, TX

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,713 in Midland, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Midland, TX are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $55 in Midland, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $181 in Midland, TX – so Midland, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Midland, TX

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

14:18 2:18 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

132,524

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Midland, TX 15,080 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Midland, TX

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 Midland, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midland, TX costs about 62% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,098 in Midland, TX. 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 $716 there versus $1,713 in Midland, TX.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Midland, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 32% cheaper in Midland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Midland, TX at $2,065. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Midland, TX 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 $1,278 in Phuket to $2,065 in Midland, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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