Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Surprise, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,305 in Surprise, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. The total is higher in Surprise, AZ despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,305 in Surprise, AZ.

Phuket $1,190
Surprise, AZ $1,305

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $3,606 in Surprise, AZ.

Phuket $2,006
Surprise, AZ $3,606

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $5,906 in Surprise, AZ.

Phuket $2,822
Surprise, AZ $5,906

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Surprise, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Surprise, AZ 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$20.25 $20.25

-78.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$84.2 $84.2

-61.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$12.84 $12.84

-34.42%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$6.01 $6.01

-53.24%

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

$0.87 ฿29.31

$2.65 $2.65

-67.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.40

$2.46 $2.46

-81.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$7.20 $7.20

-64.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$8.13 $8.13

-55.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.00 $1.00

71.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$3.52 $3.52

-58.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$5.19 $5.19

-69.94%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$4.73 $4.73

-55.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$13.40 $13.40

45.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$11.30 $11.30

-69.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$14.80 $14.80

-24.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.9

$4.61 $4.61

-38.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.94 $1.94

-16.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$3.88 $3.88

-42.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$4.21 $4.21

-48.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.98

$2.55 $2.55

-41.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.43

$2.88 $2.88

-53.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.74

$2.13 $2.13

-49.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.02

$2.17 $2.17

-76.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$10.66 $10.66

-58.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$13.77 $13.77

36.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.51 $2.51

-30.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.0

$3.19 $3.19

-12.85%

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

$2.80 $2.80

7.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.45

$1.40 $1.40

-24.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$35.29 $35.29

-89.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.91

$1.13 $1.13

26.55%

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

$26.3K ฿882.6K

$36.7K $36.7K

-28.27%

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

$26.2K ฿877.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

3.57%

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

$96.7 ฿3,238

$197 $197

-50.93%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$62.6 $62.6

-81.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$73.8 $73.8

-76.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,769

$60.8 $60.8

-13.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$13.16 $13.16

-41.87%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$1,090 $1,090

-49.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.9K

$15.6K $15.6K

-27.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,124

$56.0 $56.0

13.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$44.17 $44.17

-35.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,240

$99.9 $99.9

-3.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,968

$115 $115

-23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$2,116 $2,116

-0.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.8K

$3,030 $3,030

-60.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.5K

$1,591 $1,591

56.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$4,222 $4,222

-88.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.44

-13.51%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Surprise, AZ: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Surprise, AZ

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Surprise, AZ

$392 29.9% 46.2% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Surprise, AZ

$333 25.5% 166% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Surprise, AZ

$142 10.8% 13.8% $17

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Surprise, AZ

$345 26.4% 190% $226

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Surprise, AZ

$87 6.7% 27.9% $19

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Surprise, AZ

$9.8 * 0.8% 75% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

Surprise, AZ pays 743% 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 $84.0 in Surprise, AZ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $392 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

04:02 4:02 AM

14 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

143,148

💱 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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Between locations

Phuket Surprise, AZ 14,370 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 743% lower in Surprise, AZ. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $1,090 in Surprise, AZ. 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 $84.0 in Surprise, AZ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,305 in Surprise, AZ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Surprise, AZ. 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 Surprise, AZ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Surprise, AZ 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 10% less than in Surprise, AZ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.