Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sumter, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $2,107 in Sumter, SC, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Sumter, SC
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Sumter, SC Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Sumter, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Sumter, SC

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 Sumter, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $2,107 in Sumter, SC.

Phuket $1,190
Sumter, SC $2,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $3,015 in Sumter, SC.

Phuket $2,006
Sumter, SC $3,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $3,922 in Sumter, SC.

Phuket $2,822
Sumter, SC $3,922

Living in Phuket costs roughly 44% less than in Sumter, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Sumter, SC is 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$17.72 $17.72

-75.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$54.9 $54.9

-40.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$10.92 $10.92

-22.89%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$5.67 $5.67

-50.44%

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

$0.87 ฿29.31

$1.92 $1.92

-54.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.40

$1.37 $1.37

-66.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$5.98 $5.98

-56.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$6.92 $6.92

-47.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.01 $1.01

69.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$3.96 $3.96

-63.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$3.25 $3.25

-52.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$4.39 $4.39

-52.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$16.88 $16.88

15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$15.93 $15.93

-78.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$18.47 $18.47

-39.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.9

$5.22 $5.22

-45.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.42 $1.42

14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$4.59 $4.59

-51.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$4.73 $4.73

-54.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.98

$3.72 $3.72

-59.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.43

$3.09 $3.09

-56.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$2.04 $2.04

-47.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.02

$2.34 $2.34

-78.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$9.99 $9.99

-56.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$15.57 $15.57

20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.33 $2.33

-25.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.0

$3.80 $3.80

-26.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$2.97 $2.97

1.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.45

$1.90 $1.90

-44.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$29.82 $29.82

-87.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.91

$0.78 $0.78

83.33%

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

$26.3K ฿882.6K

$35.7K $35.7K

-26.17%

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

$26.2K ฿877.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

3.44%

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

$96.7 ฿3,238

$175 $175

-44.78%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$68.8 $68.8

-83.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$80.9 $80.9

-78.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,769

$14.78 $14.78

257.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$5.14 $5.14

115.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$6.83 $6.83

12.01%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$1,509 $1,509

-63.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.9K

$24.4K $24.4K

-53.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,124

$50.4 $50.4

25.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$37.80 $37.80

-24.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,240

$95.9 $95.9

0.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,968

$144 $144

-38.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$1,026 $1,026

-28.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$800 $800

-42.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$1,306 $1,306

60.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.8K

$1,239 $1,239

-4.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.0K

$1,477 $1,477

136.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.5K

$1,473 $1,473

69.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$4,117 $4,117

-87.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.48

-14.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sumter, SC: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Sumter, SC

$800 38.9% 74.7% $342

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Sumter, SC

$447 21.7% 66.6% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Sumter, SC

$325 15.8% 159% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Sumter, SC

$148 7.2% 18.2% $23

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Sumter, SC

$300 14.5% 151% $180

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Sumter, SC

$28 1.4% 58.2% $40

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Sumter, SC

$12 * 0.6% 68.2% $27

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 $735 in Phuket and $1,026 in Sumter, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sumter, SC pays 722% 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 $55.0 in Sumter, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $447 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Sumter, SC

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

09:24 9:24 AM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

39,159

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Sumter, SC 15,360 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Sumter, SC

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 Sumter, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 77% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 722% lower in Sumter, SC. 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 $1,026 in Sumter, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $1,509 in Sumter, SC. 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 $55.0 in Sumter, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $2,107 in Sumter, SC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sumter, SC. 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 Sumter, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sumter, SC 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 77% less than in Sumter, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.