Cost of Living Comparison Between Plymouth, MI and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Plymouth, MI and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,563 in Plymouth, MI versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,760 in Plymouth, MI versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,957 in Plymouth, MI versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Plymouth, MI is roughly 108% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Plymouth, MI is 91% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.74 $17.74

$4.63 ฿151

283.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 $69.8

$46.84 ฿1,532

49.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.04 $11.04

$8.84 ฿289

24.89%

Cappuccino

$4.88 $4.88

$3.00 ฿98.0

62.67%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$0.74 ฿24.25

243.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.37 ฿11.95

337.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.44 ฿79.8

144.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 $7.11

$3.61 ฿118

96.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.26 ฿73.9

-60.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.84 ฿60.1

88.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.24 ฿73.4

116.07%

Eggs

$3.31 $3.31

$2.32 ฿75.7

42.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.61 $15.61

$19.67 ฿643

-20.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.29 $12.29

$3.65 ฿119

236.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.95 $14.95

$13.10 ฿428

14.12%

Apples (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$3.39 ฿111

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.64 ฿53.7

-20.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.47 $6.47

$2.41 ฿79.0

168.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.03 ฿66.4

190.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.56 ฿50.9

39.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.50 ฿48.94

161.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.02 ฿33.50

140.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$0.49 ฿16.00

453.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.23 $9.23

$4.45 ฿145

107.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.51 $19.51

$18.88 ฿617

3.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.78 ฿58.1

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.75 ฿90.1

33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.40 ฿45.81

46.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 $4.67

$3.12 ฿102

49.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.00 ฿32.67

24.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.88 $27.88

$14.09 ฿461

97.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.35 ฿44.19

-35.56%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-7.57%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-26.29%

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

$117 $117

$125 ฿4,087

-6.02%

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

$45.52 $45.52

$13.57 ฿444

235.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 $60.2

$18.52 ฿606

224.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.30 $42.30

$61.5 ฿2,010

-31.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$10.80 $10.80

$9.19 ฿300

17.52%

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

$947 $947

$698 ฿22.8K

35.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K $21.2K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

35.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$57.8 ฿1,889

13.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 $40.42

$35.24 ฿1,152

14.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 $100.0

$113 ฿3,699

-11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$86.4 ฿2,825

59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$616 ฿20.1K

157.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$446 ฿14.6K

203.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,624 $2,624

$2,048 ฿67.0K

28.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$1,492 ฿48.8K

48.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,705 $2,705

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-28.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,373 $2,373

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-10.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.33

22.14%

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

Last update for Plymouth, MI: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Plymouth, MI and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Plymouth, MI vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $292 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

Plymouth, MI vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,845 in Plymouth, MI and $1,847 in Phuket 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Plymouth, MI versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $947 in Plymouth, MI versus $698 in Phuket. 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 $47.00 versus $70.0 in Plymouth, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,563 in Plymouth, MI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Plymouth, MI. 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 Plymouth, MI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Plymouth, MI and Phuket 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 108% less than in Plymouth, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.