Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Murphysboro, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,693 in Murphysboro, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Murphysboro, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$1,693
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Murphysboro, IL

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 Murphysboro, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,693 in Murphysboro, IL, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Murphysboro, IL $1,693

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $2,573 in Murphysboro, IL, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Murphysboro, IL $2,573

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $3,453 in Murphysboro, IL, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Murphysboro, IL $3,453

Phuket is about 29% cheaper than Murphysboro, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Murphysboro, IL is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Murphysboro, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$17.97 $17.97
-75.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$86.1 $86.1
-62.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$11.82 $11.82
-25.89%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$6.94 $6.94
-59.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$2.85 $2.85
-68.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$2.40 $2.40
-80.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$6.85 $6.85
-62.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$8.05 $8.05
-52.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Murphysboro, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$0.81 $0.81
113.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$1.82 $1.82
-19.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$4.00 $4.00
-62.25%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$4.20 $4.20
-48.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$13.12 $13.12
50.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$9.67 $9.67
-65.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$15.51 $15.51
-28.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$5.74 $5.74
-50.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$1.59 $1.59
6.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$4.18 $4.18
-47.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$5.08 $5.08
-59.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$1.07 $1.07
35.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$2.00 $2.00
-31.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.58 $1.58
-32.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.77 $0.77
-33.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$9.14 $9.14
-53.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$10.15 $10.15
83.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$2.38 $2.38
-25.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$4.18 $4.18
-31.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Murphysboro, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$2.16 $2.16
4.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$5.03 $5.03
-40.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$1.57 $1.57
-32.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$20.95 $20.95
-81.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$0.99 $0.99
46.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$37.5K $37.5K
-29.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$26.7K $26.7K
0.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Murphysboro, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$189 $189
-49.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$33.50 $33.50
-67.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$38.96 $38.96
-56.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Murphysboro, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$37.79 $37.79
38.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$8.84 $8.84
-11.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Murphysboro, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$1,463 $1,463
-62.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$30.0K $30.0K
-61.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Murphysboro, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$33.16 $33.16
93.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$34.71 $34.71
-17.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$93.2 $93.2
2.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$114 $114
-22.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Murphysboro, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$643 $643
14.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$560 $560
-17.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$894 $894
134.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$842 $842
42.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$934 $934
273.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$993 $993
154.12%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Murphysboro, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
$2,534 $2,534
-80.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.55
-14.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Murphysboro, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Murphysboro, IL
$560 21.1% $97
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Murphysboro, IL
$337 25.5% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Murphysboro, IL
$262 110% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Murphysboro, IL
$124 0.6% $0.7
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Murphysboro, IL
$334 175% $213
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Murphysboro, IL
$55 18.2% $12
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Murphysboro, IL
$22 * 45.5% $18

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $643 in Murphysboro, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 406% higher in Murphysboro, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $86.0 in Murphysboro, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $337 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇺🇸 Murphysboro, IL
🕒 Local time
17:17 5:17 PM
05:17 5:17 AM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
7,500
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Murphysboro, IL 14,880 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Murphysboro, IL

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 Murphysboro, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Murphysboro, IL?
Murphysboro, IL costs about 40% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Murphysboro, IL?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $2,540 in Murphysboro, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Murphysboro, IL?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Murphysboro, IL?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $86.0 in Murphysboro, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Murphysboro, IL?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Murphysboro, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Murphysboro, IL?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Murphysboro, IL at $1,693. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Murphysboro, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Murphysboro, IL?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,208 versus $1,693 in Murphysboro, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Phuket compared to Murphysboro, IL?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Phuket or to Murphysboro, IL?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Murphysboro, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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