Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Stockton, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $2,796 in Stockton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Stockton, CA
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Stockton, CA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Stockton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Stockton, CA

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 Stockton, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $2,796 in Stockton, CA.

Phuket $1,190
Stockton, CA $2,796

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $4,255 in Stockton, CA.

Phuket $2,006
Stockton, CA $4,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $5,715 in Stockton, CA.

Phuket $2,822
Stockton, CA $5,715

Living in Phuket costs roughly 57% less than in Stockton, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Stockton, CA is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$22.33 $22.33

-80.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$74.0 $74.0

-56.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$11.83 $11.83

-28.83%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$5.79 $5.79

-51.47%

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

$0.87 ฿29.31

$3.21 $3.21

-72.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.40

$2.27 $2.27

-79.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$7.93 $7.93

-67.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$6.67 $6.67

-45.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.42 $1.42

20.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$4.37 $4.37

-66.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$4.23 $4.23

-63.12%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$5.75 $5.75

-63.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$8.85 $8.85

120.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$14.29 $14.29

-76.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$22.19 $22.19

-49.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.9

$5.41 $5.41

-47.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.30 $1.30

24.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$3.57 $3.57

-37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$5.61 $5.61

-61.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.98

$2.09 $2.09

-28.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.43

$3.02 $3.02

-55.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$2.35 $2.35

-54.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.02

$2.58 $2.58

-80.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$11.58 $11.58

-62.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$15.31 $15.31

22.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.69 $1.69

2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.0

$1.22 $1.22

127.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$2.52 $2.52

-13.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$40.61 $40.61

-45.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$3.42 $3.42

-11.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.45

$3.04 $3.04

-65.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$29.63 $29.63

-87.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.91

$1.58 $1.58

-9.49%

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

$26.3K ฿882.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

3.86%

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

$26.2K ฿877.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

2.70%

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

$96.7 ฿3,238

$271 $271

-64.33%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$47.03 $47.03

-75.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$84.2 $84.2

-79.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,769

$37.39 $37.39

41.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$13.92 $13.92

-45.04%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$248 $248

123.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.9K

$14.9K $14.9K

-24.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,124

$60.0 $60.0

5.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$29.28 $29.28

-2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,240

$80.5 $80.5

20.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,968

$72.0 $72.0

23.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$1,583 $1,583

-53.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$1,349 $1,349

-66.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$2,866 $2,866

-26.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.8K

$2,596 $2,596

-54.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.0K

$3,009 $3,009

16.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.5K

$3,047 $3,047

-18.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$3,835 $3,835

-86.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.49

-14.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Stockton, CA: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Stockton, CA

$1.3K 48.4% 195% $891

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Stockton, CA

$434 15.6% 61.9% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Stockton, CA

$402 14.4% 221% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Stockton, CA

$109 3.9% 12.8% $16

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Stockton, CA

$359 12.9% 201% $239

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Stockton, CA

$65 2.3% 4.2% $2.9

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Stockton, CA

$69 2.5% 76.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $1,583 in Stockton, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stockton, CA pays 666% 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 $74.0 in Stockton, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $434 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Stockton, CA

🕒 Local time

17:21 5:21 PM

03:21 3:21 AM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

305,658

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 33.5 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Stockton, CA 13,470 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Stockton, CA

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 Stockton, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 666% lower in Stockton, CA. 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: $735 in Phuket versus $1,583 in Stockton, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $248 in Stockton, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Stockton, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $2,796 in Stockton, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Stockton, CA. 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 Stockton, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Stockton, CA 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 135% less than in Stockton, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.