Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Missoula, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,609 in Missoula, MT, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
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Missoula, MT Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Missoula, MT

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 Missoula, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT.

Phuket $1,294
Missoula, MT $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $4,087 in Missoula, MT.

Phuket $2,204
Missoula, MT $4,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $5,565 in Missoula, MT.

Phuket $3,115
Missoula, MT $5,565

Living in Phuket costs roughly 50% less than in Missoula, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Missoula, MT is 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$16.73 $16.73

-73.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$75.3 $75.3

-57.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$9.27 $9.27

-6.15%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$4.37 $4.37

-37.76%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$3.10 $3.10

-70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$2.34 $2.34

-78.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$5.86 $5.86

-56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$5.93 $5.93

-38.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.12 $1.12

55.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$3.44 $3.44

-57.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.98 $4.98

-69.88%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$4.27 $4.27

-49.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$24.81 $24.81

-23.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$9.67 $9.67

-64.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$18.98 $18.98

-42.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$4.81 $4.81

-38.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.46 $1.46

15.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$6.51 $6.51

-66.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$3.73 $3.73

-43.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$2.33 $2.33

-37.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$2.96 $2.96

-53.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$2.41 $2.41

-55.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$3.90 $3.90

-85.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$10.50 $10.50

-57.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$24.82 $24.82

-26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$4.38 $4.38

-34.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$5.13 $5.13

-70.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$4.99 $4.99

-84.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$39.29 $39.29

-90.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.09 $1.09

36.70%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$32.3K $32.3K

-16.80%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$24.5K $24.5K

7.34%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$139 $139

-29.54%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$52.7 $52.7

-78.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$69.2 $69.2

-75.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$49.22 $49.22

38.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$22.25 $22.25

-50.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$13.75 $13.75

-45.96%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$2,009 $2,009

-73.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$17.7K $17.7K

5.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$66.4 $66.4

-7.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$44.46 $44.46

-36.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$104 $104

-8.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$149 $149

-41.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,522 $1,522

-52.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,324 $1,324

-61.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$2,992 $2,992

-34.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$2,649 $2,649

-47.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$4,211 $4,211

-0.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$3,475 $3,475

-5.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$3,666 $3,666

-86.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.84

-18.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7% 160% $815

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3% 78.9% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Missoula, MT

$261 10% 106% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3% 33.6% $41

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6% 132% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9% 7.8% $6.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2% 54.5% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Missoula, MT pays about 7.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $75 in Missoula, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $477 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

08:54 8:54 AM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

73,489

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 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

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Between locations

Phuket Missoula, MT 13,140 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Missoula, MT

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 Missoula, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 50% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $2,009 in Missoula, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $75 in Missoula, MT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Missoula, MT. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Missoula, MT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Missoula, MT are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Missoula, MT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.