Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paola, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,587 in Paola, KS, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Paola, KS
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Paola, KS Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Paola, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,587

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Paola, KS

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 Paola, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $2,587 in Paola, KS, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Paola, KS $2,587

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $3,553 in Paola, KS, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Paola, KS $3,553

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $4,520 in Paola, KS, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Paola, KS $4,520

Phuket is about 50% cheaper than Paola, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Paola, KS is 91% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$16.15 $16.15

-72.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$72.6 $72.6

-55.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$12.02 $12.02

-27.62%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$4.87 $4.87

-44.15%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$2.47 $2.47

-62.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$2.12 $2.12

-76.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$4.86 $4.86

-47.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$5.54 $5.54

-34.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.13 $1.13

53.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$2.82 $2.82

-48.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.32 $4.32

-65.28%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.38 $3.38

-35.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$11.52 $11.52

65.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$11.88 $11.88

-71.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$14.24 $14.24

-23.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$4.06 $4.06

-27.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$2.01 $2.01

-15.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$4.71 $4.71

-53.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$4.59 $4.59

-53.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$2.75 $2.75

-46.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$2.57 $2.57

-46.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$1.68 $1.68

-35.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$2.04 $2.04

-73.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$8.13 $8.13

-45.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$16.47 $16.47

10.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$2.00 $2.00

-11.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.32 $2.32

24.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$2.18 $2.18

-33.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$52.9 $52.9

3.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$4.90 $4.90

-69.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$1.00 $1.00

-22.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$22.34 $22.34

-82.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.02 $1.02

46.08%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$35.3K $35.3K

-23.93%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.68%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$185 $185

-47.07%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$45.49 $45.49

-75.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$57.1 $57.1

-69.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$38.92 $38.92

75.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$12.54 $12.54

-40.75%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$1,221 $1,221

-56.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$15.1K $15.1K

24.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$48.10 $48.10

28.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$33.50 $33.50

-15.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$93.4 $93.4

2.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$85.8 $85.8

1.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,438 $1,438

-49.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,396 $1,396

-63.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

$2,611 $2,611

-25.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$1,882 $1,882

-25.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$2,511 $2,511

66.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$2,171 $2,171

51.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.54

-14.83%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Paola, KS: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Paola, KS

$1.4K 54% 174% $887

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Paola, KS

$373 14.4% 39.9% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Paola, KS

$287 11.1% 128% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Paola, KS

$117 4.5% 4.4% $5.4

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Paola, KS

$277 10.7% 132% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Paola, KS

$64 2.5% 23.1% $19

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Paola, KS

$72 2.8% 8.3% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $1,438 in Paola, KS. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $73 in Paola, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $373 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Paola, KS

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

13:40 1:40 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

5,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Paola, KS 14,670 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Paola, KS

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 Paola, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paola, KS costs about 100% 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 $1,940 per month in Phuket and $3,880 in Paola, KS. 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 $721 there versus $1,438 in Paola, KS.

Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $1,221 in Paola, KS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Paola, KS, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Paola, KS at $2,587. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Paola, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.