Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and North Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,932 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,932

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in North Charleston, SC

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 North Charleston, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $2,932 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
North Charleston, SC $2,932

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $4,243 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
North Charleston, SC $4,243

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $5,554 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
North Charleston, SC $5,554

Phuket is about 59% cheaper than North Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while North Charleston, SC is 116% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$20.08 $20.08

-78.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$92.3 $92.3

-65.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$11.86 $11.86

-26.14%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$5.93 $5.93

-52.28%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.92 $2.92

-69.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.52 $2.52

-81.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$5.91 $5.91

-56.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$7.92 $7.92

-51.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.03 $1.03

67.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$3.75 $3.75

-60.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$4.73 $4.73

-68.08%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$5.10 $5.10

-57.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$7.38 $7.38

166.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$14.76 $14.76

-77.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$20.30 $20.30

-45.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$8.26 $8.26

-65.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.76 $1.76

-3.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$5.12 $5.12

-57.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$6.40 $6.40

-67.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$4.37 $4.37

-66.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$3.19 $3.19

-56.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$2.52 $2.52

-57.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$2.05 $2.05

-75.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$8.94 $8.94

-52.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$15.38 $15.38

20.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.12 $2.12

-16.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.96 $2.96

-3.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.47 $2.47

-8.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$49.53 $49.53

-55.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.05 $3.05

-1.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.26 $1.26

-15.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$32.64 $32.64

-88.17%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.67%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$25.8K $25.8K

4.45%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$223 $223

-56.81%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$75.9 $75.9

-85.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$86.1 $86.1

-80.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$17.45 $17.45

199.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$13.79 $13.79

-43.36%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$920 $920

-39.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$18.4K $18.4K

-37.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$65.4 $65.4

-1.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$45.10 $45.10

-36.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$112 $112

-14.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$131 $131

-32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$2,063 $2,063

-64.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$1,489 $1,489

-68.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,429 $2,429

-13.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$2,328 $2,328

-48.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,844 $2,844

22.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,898 $2,898

-12.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$3,763 $3,763

-86.69%

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 19, 2026

Last update for North Charleston, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.8% 222% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

North Charleston, SC

$450 15.3% 67.4% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1% 209% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.4% 27.9% $35

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

North Charleston, SC

$334 11.4% 176% $213

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5% 33.6% $23

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

North Charleston, SC

$69 2.3% 74.3% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $2,063 in North Charleston, SC. 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 651% higher in North Charleston, SC, 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 $92.0 in North Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $450 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

06:20 6:20 AM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

97,471

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 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).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket North Charleston, SC 15,480 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
North Charleston, SC

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 North Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC costs about 143% 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 $1,813 per month in Phuket and $4,397 in North Charleston, SC. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 67% more in North Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $92.0 in North Charleston, SC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in North Charleston, SC at $2,932. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in North Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,208 versus $2,932 in North Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, North Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.