Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wheaton, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,771 in Wheaton, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Wheaton, IL
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Wheaton, IL Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Wheaton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Wheaton, IL

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 Wheaton, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,771 in Wheaton, IL.

Phuket $1,294
Wheaton, IL $2,771

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $4,053 in Wheaton, IL.

Phuket $2,204
Wheaton, IL $4,053

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $5,335 in Wheaton, IL.

Phuket $3,115
Wheaton, IL $5,335

Living in Phuket costs roughly 53% less than in Wheaton, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Wheaton, IL is 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$15.87 $15.87

-72.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$69.9 $69.9

-53.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$11.93 $11.93

-27.07%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$5.75 $5.75

-52.70%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$2.94 $2.94

-68.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$2.35 $2.35

-78.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$6.66 $6.66

-62.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$7.87 $7.87

-53.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$0.95 $0.95

83.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$2.80 $2.80

-48.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.98 $2.98

-49.66%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$3.67 $3.67

-40.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$10.54 $10.54

81.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$10.81 $10.81

-68.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$19.74 $19.74

-44.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$5.09 $5.09

-42.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.73 $1.73

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$3.41 $3.41

-35.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$4.53 $4.53

-53.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$1.97 $1.97

-25.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$2.94 $2.94

-53.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$1.97 $1.97

-45.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$2.28 $2.28

-75.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$8.71 $8.71

-49.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$12.11 $12.11

50.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$2.25 $2.25

-21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.71 $2.71

6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$4.97 $4.97

-70.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

$100 $100

-45.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$3.94 $3.94

-61.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.79 $0.79

-1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$44.34 $44.34

-91.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.10 $1.10

35.45%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$22.7K $22.7K

18.68%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

4.18%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$176 $176

-44.41%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$46.90 $46.90

-75.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$71.4 $71.4

-75.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$35.68 $35.68

91.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$11.94 $11.94

-37.77%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$1,597 $1,597

-66.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$21.7K $21.7K

-13.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$57.8 $57.8

6.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$34.83 $34.83

-18.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$89.6 $89.6

7.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$102 $102

-14.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$1,989 $1,989

-63.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$1,491 $1,491

-65.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$2,806 $2,806

-30.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$2,523 $2,523

-44.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$5,433 $5,433

-90.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.81

-18.21%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Wheaton, IL: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Wheaton, IL

$1.5K 53.8% 193% $982

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Wheaton, IL

$369 13.3% 38.3% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Wheaton, IL

$294 10.6% 133% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Wheaton, IL

$128 4.6% 4.1% $5

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Wheaton, IL

$302 10.9% 153% $182

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Wheaton, IL

$60 2.2% 28.4% $24

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Wheaton, IL

$128 4.6% 93.5% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $1,989 in Wheaton, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wheaton, IL 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 $70 in Wheaton, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $369 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇸 Wheaton, IL

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

02:20 2:20 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

54,611

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.75 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Wheaton, IL 14,440 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Wheaton, IL

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 Wheaton, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 53% 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 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 $1,989 in Wheaton, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $1,597 in Wheaton, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Wheaton, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,771 in Wheaton, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wheaton, IL. 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 Wheaton, IL 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 53% less than in Wheaton, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.