Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,606 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,606

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,606 in Mountain Home, ID.

Phuket $1,278
Mountain Home, ID $2,606

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,849 in Mountain Home, ID.

Phuket $2,216
Mountain Home, ID $3,849

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,091 in Mountain Home, ID.

Phuket $3,154
Mountain Home, ID $5,091

Living in Phuket costs roughly 51% less than in Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Mountain Home, ID is 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$21.70 $21.70

-79.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$85.1 $85.1

-61.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.44 $11.44

-22.99%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$4.57 $4.57

-38.07%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.62 $2.62

-66.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.15 $2.15

-77.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.16 $6.16

-58.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$6.87 $6.87

-46.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.07 $1.07

55.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$3.52 $3.52

-58.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.32 $4.32

-65.28%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.07 $4.07

-48.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$12.09 $12.09

57.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.72 $11.72

-71.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$16.99 $16.99

-35.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.86 $4.86

-39.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.60 $1.60

5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$4.27 $4.27

-47.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.74 $4.74

-56.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.83 $2.83

-46.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$2.94 $2.94

-53.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.20 $2.20

-51.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$2.20 $2.20

-76.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.27 $10.27

-59.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.16 $15.16

23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.95 $1.95

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$3.45 $3.45

-17.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$2.09 $2.09

-30.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$59.5 $59.5

-4.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.99 $2.99

1.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.81 $1.81

-43.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$30.66 $30.66

-87.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.16 $1.16

26.72%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$28.2K $28.2K

-5.18%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.64%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$202 $202

-52.28%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$57.7 $57.7

-80.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$70.1 $70.1

-75.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$42.58 $42.58

57.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$13.92 $13.92

-46.12%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,233 $1,233

-61.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$22.5K $22.5K

-49.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$55.2 $55.2

12.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$40.22 $40.22

-29.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$94.7 $94.7

-0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$128 $128

-32.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,586 $1,586

-54.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,261 $1,261

-61.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,762 $2,762

-30.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,084 $2,084

-31.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,481 $2,481

68.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,339 $2,339

30.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

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 Mountain Home, ID: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Mountain Home, ID

$1.3K 48.4% 157% $770

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Mountain Home, ID

$396 15.2% 48.9% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Mountain Home, ID

$330 12.7% 165% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mountain Home, ID

$143 5.5% 17.4% $21

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Mountain Home, ID

$326 12.5% 168% $205

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Mountain Home, ID

$70 2.7% 14.4% $12

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Mountain Home, ID

$80 3.1% 13.2% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,586 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $85 in Mountain Home, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $396 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

14:51 2:51 PM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

11,656

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mountain Home, ID 13,380 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $3,910 in Mountain Home, ID to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,586 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $2,606 in Mountain Home, ID – Phuket is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 5% less than in Mountain Home, ID. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,606 in Mountain Home, ID, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Mountain Home, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.