Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mobile, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,117 in Mobile, AL, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Mobile, AL
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Mobile, AL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mobile, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mobile, AL

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 Mobile, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,117 in Mobile, AL, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Mobile, AL $2,117

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,228 in Mobile, AL, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Mobile, AL $3,228

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,339 in Mobile, AL, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Mobile, AL $4,339

Phuket is about 40% cheaper than Mobile, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Mobile, AL is 56% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$24.83 $24.83

-82.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$59.5 $59.5

-45.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$13.89 $13.89

-36.57%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$5.21 $5.21

-45.68%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$2.11 $2.11

-58.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.62 $1.62

-69.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$4.61 $4.61

-44.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.58 $6.58

-44.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.11 $1.11

49.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$2.99 $2.99

-51.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$5.51 $5.51

-72.78%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$3.26 $3.26

-35.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$9.96 $9.96

91.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.46 $11.46

-71.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$19.43 $19.43

-43.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$3.79 $3.79

-22.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.62 $1.62

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$2.54 $2.54

-11.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.02 $3.02

-31.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.21 $2.21

-31.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$3.69 $3.69

-62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.44 $2.44

-56.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.89 $1.89

-72.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$8.16 $8.16

-48.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$8.90 $8.90

111.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.40 $2.40

-24.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.02 $3.02

-5.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.24 $1.24

16.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$39.92 $39.92

41.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$5.10 $5.10

-40.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.24 $1.24

-17.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$16.39 $16.39

-77.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$0.99 $0.99

48.48%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.84%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.72%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$170 $170

-43.31%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$70.3 $70.3

-83.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$67.4 $67.4

-74.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$38.39 $38.39

75.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$5.11 $5.11

109.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.26 $13.26

-43.44%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$406 $406

17.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$12.4K $12.4K

-9.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$40.11 $40.11

55.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$34.69 $34.69

-18.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$97.7 $97.7

-3.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$114 $114

-25.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$1,110 $1,110

-35.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$847 $847

-42.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$1,708 $1,708

12.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$1,577 $1,577

-9.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$1,823 $1,823

129.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,417 $1,417

114.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$3,300 $3,300

-84.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.68

-16.62%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mobile, AL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mobile, AL

$847 40% 72.6% $357

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mobile, AL

$358 16.9% 34.3% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mobile, AL

$308 14.5% 147% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mobile, AL

$129 6.1% 5.9% $7.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mobile, AL

$354 16.7% 191% $232

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mobile, AL

$65 3.1% 21.1% $17

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mobile, AL

$56 2.7% 20.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,110 in Mobile, AL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mobile, AL are about 6.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $59 in Mobile, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $358 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Mobile, AL

🕒 Local time

11:21 11:21 AM

22:21 10:21 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

187,041

💱 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mobile, AL 15,670 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mobile, AL

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 Mobile, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mobile, AL costs about 66% 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 $3,175 in Mobile, AL. 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 $1,110 in Mobile, AL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,117 in Mobile, AL. That makes Phuket about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Mobile, AL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Mobile, AL at $2,117. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mobile, AL 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 $2,117 in Mobile, AL. 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, Mobile, AL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.