Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Upland, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,406 in Upland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
116

Cost of Living Index in Upland, CA
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Upland, CA Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Upland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Upland, 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 Upland, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,406 in Upland, CA.

Phuket $1,294
Upland, CA $2,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $3,533 in Upland, CA.

Phuket $2,204
Upland, CA $3,533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $4,661 in Upland, CA.

Phuket $3,115
Upland, CA $4,661

Living in Phuket costs roughly 46% less than in Upland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Upland, CA is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$14.85 $14.85

-70.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$71.1 $71.1

-54.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$11.93 $11.93

-27.07%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$1.99 $1.99

36.68%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$2.01 $2.01

-53.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$2.02 $2.02

-75.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$7.38 $7.38

-65.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.58 $9.58

-62.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.08 $1.08

61.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$2.22 $2.22

-34.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$2.22 $2.22

-32.43%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$4.67 $4.67

-53.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.96 $8.96

113.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$6.75 $6.75

-49.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$15.21 $15.21

-28.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$4.43 $4.43

-33.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$1.71 $1.71

-1.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$3.24 $3.24

-32.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$5.93 $5.93

-64.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$2.23 $2.23

-34.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$2.21 $2.21

-38.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$1.97 $1.97

-45.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$1.83 $1.83

-69.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$11.90 $11.90

-62.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

$12.01 $12.01

51.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.91 $1.91

-7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

$1.28 $1.28

125.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$1.82 $1.82

-20.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

$60.3 $60.3

-8.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$3.16 $3.16

-52.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

$1.84 $1.84

-57.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$35.62 $35.62

-89.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$1.41 $1.41

5.67%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

$29.3K $29.3K

-8.16%

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

$27.5K $27.5K

-4.21%

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$167 $167

-41.32%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$67.8 $67.8

-83.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$59.3 $59.3

-71.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

$44.63 $44.63

53.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$15.36 $15.36

-51.63%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$1,879 $1,879

-71.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

$18.1K $18.1K

3.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

$58.0 $58.0

6.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

$39.32 $39.32

-28.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

$74.7 $74.7

28.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

$120 $120

-27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$1,562 $1,562

-53.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$1,255 $1,255

-59.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

$2,599 $2,599

-24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$2,102 $2,102

-33.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

$2,531 $2,531

65.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

$2,671 $2,671

23.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$5,200 $5,200

-90.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.31

-11.73%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Upland, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Upland, CA

$1.3K 52.2% 147% $747

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Upland, CA

$319 13.3% 19.5% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Upland, CA

$294 12.2% 133% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Upland, CA

$131 5.5% 7.1% $8.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Upland, CA

$251 10.4% 110% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Upland, CA

$75 3.1% 9.4% $7.8

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Upland, CA

$80 3.3% 21% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,562 in Upland, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Upland, CA pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $71 in Upland, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $319 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Upland, CA

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

17:06 5:06 PM

15 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

73,379

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Upland, CA 14,000 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Upland, 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 Upland, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 46% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% 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 $1,562 in Upland, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $1,879 in Upland, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Upland, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,406 in Upland, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Upland, CA. 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Upland, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.