๐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,588 in The Dalles, OR.
๐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $3,857 in The Dalles, OR.
๐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $5,126 in The Dalles, OR.
๐Living in Phuket costs roughly 52% less than in The Dalles, OR, driven mainly by Eating Out.
๐The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, The Dalles, OR is 93% above.
Currency
๐ฝ Eating Out
Phuket
The Dalles, OR
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63เธฟ150
$27.79$27.79
-83.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84เธฟ1,515
$69.8$69.8
-32.92%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84เธฟ286
$12.07$12.07
-26.76%
Cappuccino
$3.00เธฟ96.9
$6.14$6.14
-51.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74เธฟ23.98
$3.29$3.29
-77.51%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37เธฟ11.82
$2.67$2.67
-86.14%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44เธฟ78.9
$7.15$7.15
-65.87%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61เธฟ117
$5.85$5.85
-38.29%
๐ Groceries & Markets
Phuket
The Dalles, OR
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26เธฟ73.1
$1.01$1.01
123.76%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84เธฟ59.5
$3.30$3.30
-44.24%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24เธฟ72.6
$4.31$4.31
-48.03%
Eggs
$2.32เธฟ74.9
$3.06$3.06
-24.18%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67เธฟ636
$17.56$17.56
12.02%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65เธฟ118
$10.33$10.33
-64.67%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10เธฟ424
$10.85$10.85
20.74%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39เธฟ110
$6.55$6.55
-48.24%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64เธฟ53.1
$1.62$1.62
1.23%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41เธฟ78.1
$4.29$4.29
-43.82%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03เธฟ65.6
$4.33$4.33
-53.12%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56เธฟ50.3
$3.01$3.01
-48.17%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50เธฟ48.40
$2.65$2.65
-43.40%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02เธฟ33.13
$2.45$2.45
-58.37%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49เธฟ15.82
$2.03$2.03
-75.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45เธฟ144
$12.38$12.38
-64.05%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88เธฟ610
$14.86$14.86
27.05%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78เธฟ57.4
$1.94$1.94
-8.25%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75เธฟ89.1
$4.63$4.63
-40.60%
๐ Getting Around
Phuket
The Dalles, OR
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40เธฟ45.31
$1.95$1.95
-28.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48เธฟ371
$44.28$44.28
-74.07%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12เธฟ101
$5.13$5.13
-39.18%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00เธฟ32.31
$1.23$1.23
-18.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09เธฟ456
$51.5$51.5
-72.64%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35เธฟ43.70
$1.17$1.17
15.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2Kเธฟ879.1K
$35.6K$35.6K
-23.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9Kเธฟ1.1M
$25.8K$25.8K
27.51%
๐งพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
The Dalles, OR
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125เธฟ4,042
$121$121
3.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57เธฟ439
$61.6$61.6
-77.97%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52เธฟ599
$70.6$70.6
-73.76%
๐ Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
The Dalles, OR
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5เธฟ1,988
$43.58$43.58
41.07%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84เธฟ545
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.19เธฟ297
$11.22$11.22
-18.09%
๐งธ Childcare & Education
Phuket
The Dalles, OR
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698เธฟ22.6K
$994$994
-29.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6Kเธฟ504.3K
$23.4K$23.4K
-33.44%
๐๐ Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
The Dalles, OR
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8เธฟ1,868
$39.54$39.54
46.08%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24เธฟ1,140
$34.62$34.62
1.79%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113เธฟ3,658
$60.1$60.1
88.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4เธฟ2,793
$80.7$80.7
7.06%
๐ Accommodation & Living
Phuket
The Dalles, OR
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616เธฟ19.9K
$1,630$1,630
-62.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446เธฟ14.4K
$1,367$1,367
-67.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048เธฟ66.2K
$2,625$2,625
-21.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492เธฟ48.3K
$2,261$2,261
-34.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779เธฟ122.2K
$2,643$2,643
42.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649เธฟ85.7K
$2,290$2,290
15.66%
๐ต Salaries & Financials
Phuket
The Dalles, OR
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524เธฟ16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
6.66
-19.97%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026
Last update for The Dalles, OR: April 26, 2026
Cost Breakdown
๐ A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $1,630 in The Dalles, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
๐Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $70 in The Dalles, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $388 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.
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 The Dalles, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Dalles, OR cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $3,882 in The Dalles, OR 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and The Dalles, OR?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $1,630 in The Dalles, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $994 in The Dalles, OR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and The Dalles, OR?
Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in The Dalles, OR. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or The Dalles, OR?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,588 in The Dalles, OR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in The Dalles, OR. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or The Dalles, OR more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in The Dalles, OR, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or The Dalles, OR?
Safety-wise, Phuket and The Dalles, OR are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet โ expenses run 110% less than in The Dalles, OR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.