Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pocatello, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,929 in Pocatello, ID, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 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
94

Cost of Living Index in Pocatello, ID
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Pocatello, ID Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Pocatello, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$1,929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pocatello, 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 Pocatello, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,929 in Pocatello, ID.

Phuket $1,207
Pocatello, ID $1,929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,671 in Pocatello, ID.

Phuket $2,037
Pocatello, ID $2,671

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $3,413 in Pocatello, ID.

Phuket $2,867
Pocatello, ID $3,413

Living in Phuket costs roughly 37% less than in Pocatello, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Pocatello, ID is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$14.78 $14.78

-69.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$50.4 $50.4

-35.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$9.91 $9.91

-13.72%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$5.12 $5.12

-46.88%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$2.06 $2.06

-54.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.65 $1.65

-70.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.08 $3.08

-15.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.87 $4.87

-21.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.81 $0.81

114.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$3.21 $3.21

-55.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$4.04 $4.04

-62.13%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.22 $4.22

-48.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$8.77 $8.77

118.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$12.02 $12.02

-72.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$16.93 $16.93

-34.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$4.12 $4.12

-28.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.31 $1.31

28.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$3.71 $3.71

-38.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$3.25 $3.25

-34.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.57 $0.57

168.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.48 $2.48

-45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.86 $1.86

-39.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.93 $1.93

-71.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$9.98 $9.98

-57.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$8.89 $8.89

104.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$2.69 $2.69

-35.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.40 $3.40

-17.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.46 $2.46

18.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$2.28 $2.28

-55.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$24.53 $24.53

-84.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.97 $0.97

53.61%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$37.3K $37.3K

-28.40%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$23.9K $23.9K

11.76%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$155 $155

-35.89%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$48.83 $48.83

-76.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$72.2 $72.2

-75.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$37.68 $37.68

38.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$15.25 $15.25

-28.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$12.59 $12.59

-39.87%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$481 $481

16.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$20.2K $20.2K

-43.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$49.66 $49.66

26.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$46.39 $46.39

-38.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$79.5 $79.5

21.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$71.3 $71.3

23.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,095 $1,095

-33.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$870 $870

-47.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,694 $1,694

23.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$1,121 $1,121

8.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,930 $1,930

79.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,985 $1,985

25.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$3,910 $3,910

-87.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.46

-13.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Pocatello, ID: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Pocatello, ID

$870 45.1% 89.2% $411

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Pocatello, ID

$345 17.9% 29% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Pocatello, ID

$276 14.3% 116% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Pocatello, ID

$111 5.8% 10.5% $13

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Pocatello, ID

$249 12.9% 106% $128

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Pocatello, ID

$63 3.3% 6.8% $4.6

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Pocatello, ID

$14 * 0.7% 64.4% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,095 in Pocatello, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pocatello, ID pays 693% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Pocatello, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $345 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Pocatello, ID

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

12:52 12:52 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

56,320

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Pocatello, ID 13,570 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pocatello, 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 Pocatello, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 693% lower in Pocatello, ID. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $1,095 in Pocatello, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $481 in Pocatello, ID. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $50.0 in Pocatello, ID. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,929 in Pocatello, ID, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pocatello, ID. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pocatello, ID, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pocatello, ID are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Pocatello, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.