Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and University Place, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,876 in University Place, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 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
137

Cost of Living Index in University Place, WA
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University Place, WA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

University Place, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in University Place, WA

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 University Place, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,876 in University Place, WA.

Phuket $1,294
University Place, WA $2,876

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $4,279 in University Place, WA.

Phuket $2,204
University Place, WA $4,279

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $5,682 in University Place, WA.

Phuket $3,115
University Place, WA $5,682

Living in Phuket costs roughly 55% less than in University Place, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, University Place, WA is 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$23.38 $23.38

-81.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,083

$101 $101

-67.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$12.15 $12.15

-28.40%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.3

$6.08 $6.08

-55.26%

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

$0.93 ฿31.20

$3.12 $3.12

-70.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.75

$3.14 $3.14

-84.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.9

$7.93 $7.93

-68.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$7.86 $7.86

-53.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.10 $1.10

58.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.64

$4.05 $4.05

-64.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$5.95 $5.95

-74.79%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.8

$4.97 $4.97

-56.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿640

$16.11 $16.11

18.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$18.19 $18.19

-81.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿365

$23.33 $23.33

-53.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.6

$5.91 $5.91

-50.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.7

$1.77 $1.77

-4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.6

$5.55 $5.55

-60.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.2

$4.48 $4.48

-52.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.90

$3.48 $3.48

-58.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.87

$2.82 $2.82

-51.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.07

$1.96 $1.96

-44.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.29

$3.06 $3.06

-82.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$12.43 $12.43

-64.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿612

$18.17 $18.17

0.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.4

$1.75 $1.75

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.6

$4.95 $4.95

-41.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.53

$2.13 $2.13

-31.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,840

$65.8 $65.8

-16.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.7

$2.66 $2.66

-43.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.01

$1.70 $1.70

-54.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$30.49 $30.49

-87.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.87

$1.45 $1.45

2.76%

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

$26.9K ฿901.3K

$27.9K $27.9K

-3.66%

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

$26.3K ฿883.4K

$26.5K $26.5K

-0.56%

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

$97.8 ฿3,280

$233 $233

-58.03%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$68.7 $68.7

-83.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿576

$88.6 $88.6

-80.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,291

$39.56 $39.56

72.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿366

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿249

$17.88 $17.88

-58.45%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$2,087 $2,087

-74.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿629.7K

$27.9K $27.9K

-32.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,068

$60.3 $60.3

2.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿947

$44.90 $44.90

-37.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,219

$130 $130

-25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,911

$127 $127

-31.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,573 $1,573

-54.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,280 $1,280

-60.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.4K

$2,599 $2,599

-24.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.8K

$2,111 $2,111

-33.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.6K

$2,918 $2,918

43.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.6K

$2,644 $2,644

24.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$8,149 $8,149

-93.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.64

-16.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for University Place, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

University Place, WA

$1.3K 44.5% 152% $771

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

University Place, WA

$505 17.6% 89.2% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

University Place, WA

$390 13.6% 209% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

University Place, WA

$163 5.7% 32.9% $40

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

University Place, WA

$377 13.1% 215% $257

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

University Place, WA

$75 2.6% 9.4% $7.9

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

University Place, WA

$85 3% 29.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,573 in University Place, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

University Place, WA pays about 17 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $101 in University Place, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $505 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 University Place, WA

🕒 Local time

23:23 11:23 PM

08:23 8:23 AM

15 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

34,866

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket University Place, WA 12,680 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
University Place, WA

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 University Place, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 55% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 94% 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: $721 in Phuket versus $1,573 in University Place, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $2,087 in University Place, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in University Place, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,876 in University Place, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in University Place, WA. 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 University Place, WA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in University Place, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.