Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Milton, DE

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,655 in Milton, DE, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Milton, DE
Learn more

Milton, DE Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Milton, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,655

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Milton, DE

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 Milton, DE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,655 in Milton, DE.

Phuket $1,278
Milton, DE $2,655

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,869 in Milton, DE.

Phuket $2,216
Milton, DE $3,869

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,082 in Milton, DE.

Phuket $3,154
Milton, DE $5,082

Living in Phuket costs roughly 52% less than in Milton, DE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Milton, DE is 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$22.90 $22.90

-80.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$72.2 $72.2

-55.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.75 $11.75

-25.02%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$5.57 $5.57

-49.19%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.59 $2.59

-66.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$2.09 $2.09

-76.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$6.27 $6.27

-59.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.95 $7.95

-53.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$3.55 $3.55

-58.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$4.31 $4.31

-65.20%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.04 $4.04

-48.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$12.59 $12.59

51.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.86 $11.86

-72.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$17.29 $17.29

-36.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$5.10 $5.10

-42.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.56 $1.56

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.33 $4.33

-48.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.57 $4.57

-54.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.85 $2.85

-47.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$3.03 $3.03

-54.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.18 $2.18

-50.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$2.31 $2.31

-77.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.30 $10.30

-59.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.17 $15.17

23.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.00 $2.00

-9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.33 $3.33

-14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$2.04 $2.04

-28.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$60.0 $60.0

-5.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.12 $3.12

-3.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.69 $1.69

-39.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$30.33 $30.33

-87.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.00 $1.00

47.00%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$28.4K $28.4K

-5.82%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.60%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$204 $204

-52.76%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$57.1 $57.1

-80.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$70.6 $70.6

-76.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$39.54 $39.54

70.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$40.47 $40.47

-73.49%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.20 $14.20

-47.18%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,374 $1,374

-65.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$23.6K $23.6K

-52.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$52.4 $52.4

19.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$41.77 $41.77

-31.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$89.1 $89.1

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$113 $113

-23.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,582 $1,582

-54.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,291 $1,291

-61.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$2,567 $2,567

-24.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,064 $2,064

-30.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,838 $2,838

47.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,326 $2,326

30.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,888 $3,888

-87.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.57

-15.22%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Milton, DE: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Milton, DE

$1.3K 48.6% 163% $800

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Milton, DE

$401 15.1% 50.7% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Milton, DE

$332 12.5% 167% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Milton, DE

$133 5% 9.2% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Milton, DE

$351 13.2% 189% $230

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Milton, DE

$68 2.6% 17.4% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Milton, DE

$80 3% 13% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,582 in Milton, DE. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milton, DE pays about 7.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $72 in Milton, DE for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $401 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Milton, DE

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

19:46 7:46 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

25,902

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Milton, DE 14,790 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Milton, DE

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 Milton, DE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,582 in Milton, DE. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Milton, DE. 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 $72 in Milton, DE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,655 in Milton, DE, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Milton, DE. 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 Milton, DE 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 52% less than in Milton, DE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.