Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and South Portland, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,045 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 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
148

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,045 in South Portland, ME.

Phuket $1,278
South Portland, ME $3,045

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $4,568 in South Portland, ME.

Phuket $2,216
South Portland, ME $4,568

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $6,091 in South Portland, ME.

Phuket $3,154
South Portland, ME $6,091

Living in Phuket costs roughly 58% less than in South Portland, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, South Portland, ME is 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$24.94 $24.94

-82.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$118 $118

-72.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$14.71 $14.71

-40.11%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$5.35 $5.35

-47.10%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$3.09 $3.09

-71.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$2.37 $2.37

-79.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$7.81 $7.81

-67.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$7.95 $7.95

-53.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.07 $1.07

55.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$4.38 $4.38

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$6.96 $6.96

-78.45%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.03 $4.03

-48.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$15.36 $15.36

24.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$10.35 $10.35

-68.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.97 $15.97

-31.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$4.77 $4.77

-38.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.65 $1.65

2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$5.52 $5.52

-59.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$7.61 $7.61

-72.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$4.38 $4.38

-65.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$3.78 $3.78

-63.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$2.93 $2.93

-63.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$2.59 $2.59

-79.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$12.31 $12.31

-65.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$15.08 $15.08

24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.90 $1.90

-4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.60 $2.60

9.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.91 $1.91

-24.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$51.3 $51.3

10.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.05 $2.05

47.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.58 $1.58

-35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.94 $10.94

-66.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.09 $1.09

34.86%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$27.5K $27.5K

-2.60%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.13%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$239 $239

-59.66%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$68.3 $68.3

-83.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$78.6 $78.6

-78.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$40.18 $40.18

67.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$29.61 $29.61

-63.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$14.95 $14.95

-49.83%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$401 $401

18.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$15.1K $15.1K

-25.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$51.9 $51.9

20.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$51.2 $51.2

-44.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$103 $103

-8.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$131 $131

-34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$1,972 $1,972

-63.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,537 $1,537

-68.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$3,166 $3,166

-39.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,605 $2,605

-45.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$2,784 $2,784

49.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,332 $2,332

30.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$4,169 $4,169

-87.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.65

-16.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.5% 213% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

South Portland, ME

$446 14.7% 67.6% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

South Portland, ME

$386 12.7% 210% $261

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

South Portland, ME

$152 5% 24.6% $30

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

South Portland, ME

$385 12.6% 216% $263

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

South Portland, ME

$70 2.3% 14.8% $12

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

South Portland, ME

$69 2.3% 2.4% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,972 in South Portland, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

South Portland, ME pays about 8.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $118 in South Portland, ME for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $446 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

15:05 3:05 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

26,498

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket South Portland, ME 14,170 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 138% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $1,972 in South Portland, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $401 in South Portland, ME. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in South Portland, ME. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $3,045 in South Portland, ME, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in South Portland, ME. 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.

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

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, South Portland, ME on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.