Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rock Island, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,732 in Rock Island, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Rock Island, IL
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Rock Island, IL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Rock Island, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,732 in Rock Island, IL.

Phuket $1,278
Rock Island, IL $2,732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $4,099 in Rock Island, IL.

Phuket $2,216
Rock Island, IL $4,099

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $5,466 in Rock Island, IL.

Phuket $3,154
Rock Island, IL $5,466

Living in Phuket costs roughly 53% less than in Rock Island, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Rock Island, IL is 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$20.11 $20.11

-77.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$66.2 $66.2

-51.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$12.94 $12.94

-31.92%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$5.70 $5.70

-50.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$3.14 $3.14

-72.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$2.42 $2.42

-79.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$6.94 $6.94

-63.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.81 $7.81

-52.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.95 $0.95

74.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$3.47 $3.47

-57.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$4.34 $4.34

-65.44%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.78 $3.78

-44.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$14.66 $14.66

30.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$13.21 $13.21

-75.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$19.86 $19.86

-45.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$4.61 $4.61

-36.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.58 $1.58

6.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$5.21 $5.21

-56.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$4.83 $4.83

-56.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.78 $2.78

-45.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$3.10 $3.10

-55.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$2.16 $2.16

-50.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$2.36 $2.36

-77.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$10.74 $10.74

-60.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.50 $15.50

21.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.76 $2.76

-34.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.34 $4.34

-34.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$2.24 $2.24

-35.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$63.1 $63.1

-10.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.93 $3.93

-23.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$2.04 $2.04

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$42.96 $42.96

-91.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$0.99 $0.99

48.48%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$31.1K $31.1K

-13.91%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.10%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$271 $271

-64.49%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$53.6 $53.6

-78.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$81.3 $81.3

-79.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$35.15 $35.15

91.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$15.25 $15.25

-50.82%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,641 $1,641

-71.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$23.5K $23.5K

-52.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$63.6 $63.6

-1.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$49.79 $49.79

-42.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$108 $108

-12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$121 $121

-29.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,577 $1,577

-54.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,251 $1,251

-60.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$2,603 $2,603

-25.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,363 $2,363

-39.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,641 $2,641

58.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,681 $2,681

13.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.69

-16.74%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rock Island, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Rock Island, IL

$1.3K 45.8% 155% $760

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Rock Island, IL

$429 15.7% 61% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Rock Island, IL

$406 14.9% 226% $282

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Rock Island, IL

$154 5.6% 26.3% $32

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Rock Island, IL

$341 12.5% 180% $219

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Rock Island, IL

$66 2.4% 20.2% $17

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Rock Island, IL

$86 3.2% 22.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,577 in Rock Island, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $66 in Rock Island, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $429 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

16:50 4:50 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

37,108

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Phuket Rock Island, IL 14,450 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Rock Island, 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 Rock Island, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 53% 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 $4,099 in Rock Island, IL 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 $1,577 in Rock Island, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,641 in Rock Island, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Rock Island, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,732 in Rock Island, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rock Island, IL. 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 53% less than in Rock Island, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.