Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plymouth, MI and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $2,476 in Plymouth, MI, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Plymouth, MI
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Plymouth, MI Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Plymouth, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Plymouth, MI and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Plymouth, MI and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Plymouth, MI versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Plymouth, MI $2,476
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,721 in Plymouth, MI versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Plymouth, MI $3,721
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,967 in Plymouth, MI versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Plymouth, MI $4,967
Phuket $3,115

Living in Plymouth, MI is roughly 91% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Plymouth, MI is 83% above, Phuket is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.67 $12.67

$4.39 ฿147

188.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$32.31 ฿1,085

131.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.70 ฿292

-8.39%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$2.72 ฿91.5

94.49%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$0.93 ฿31.25

109.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.50 ฿16.78

106.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.53 ฿85.0

94.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.63 ฿122

12.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.74 ฿58.4

-54.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.45 ฿48.73

101.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.50 ฿50.5

202.67%

Eggs

$2.84 $2.84

$2.17 ฿73.0

30.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$19.09 ฿641

-41.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.40 $17.40

$3.40 ฿114

411.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.43 $34.43

$10.90 ฿366

215.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.94 ฿98.8

12.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.69 ฿56.8

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$2.19 ฿73.7

210.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.12 ฿71.4

68.87%

Potato (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$1.46 ฿48.99

288.36%

Onion (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$1.37 ฿45.95

318.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.08 ฿36.14

96.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.55 ฿18.32

307.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 $10.21

$4.43 ฿149

130.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.83 $18.83

$18.25 ฿613

3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.77 ฿59.5

29.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.88 ฿96.8

75.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.45 ฿48.62

28.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 $61.3

$54.9 ฿1,844

11.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$1.51 ฿50.8

126.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.19 $3.19

$0.78 ฿26.06

308.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$3.84 ฿129

160.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.49 ฿49.96

-36.24%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$26.9K ฿902.9K

11.45%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$26.3K ฿884.9K

-4.43%

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

$233 $233

$97.8 ฿3,285

138.29%

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

$63.6 $63.6

$11.29 ฿379

463.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 $51.7

$17.19 ฿577

200.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.53 $34.53

$68.3 ฿2,295

-49.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$12.28 $12.28

$7.43 ฿250

65.28%

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

$641 $641

$530 ฿17.8K

20.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$18.8K ฿630.9K

-46.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$61.7 ฿2,072

-2.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 $50.2

$28.25 ฿949

77.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$96.0 ฿3,225

5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$86.8 ฿2,916

37.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$721 ฿24.2K

123.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 $1,113

$509 ฿17.1K

118.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 $2,248

$1,950 ฿65.5K

15.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 $1,959

$1,397 ฿46.9K

40.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,776 $2,776

$4,192 ฿140.8K

-33.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,341 $2,341

$3,298 ฿110.8K

-29.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,890 $4,890

$492 ฿16.5K

894.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

5.57

17.77%

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

Last update for Plymouth, MI: October 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Plymouth, MI

$1.1K 45%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 54.3% $604

Groceries & Markets

Plymouth, MI

$485 19.6%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 44.9% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plymouth, MI

$348 14.1%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 63.7% $222

Eating Out

Plymouth, MI

$233 9.4%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 48.8% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Plymouth, MI

$149 6%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 17.6% $26

Getting Around

Plymouth, MI

$88 3.6%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 25% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Plymouth, MI

$59 2.4%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 40.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,611 in Plymouth, MI and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plymouth, MI pays about 9.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Plymouth, MI vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $485 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plymouth, MI

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

20:10 8:10 PM

12 h ahead of Plymouth, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,217

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Plymouth, MI Phuket 14,420 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Plymouth, MI
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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

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

Phuket is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Plymouth, MI is about 9.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,611 in Plymouth, MI versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $641 in Plymouth, MI versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Plymouth, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,294 in Phuket versus $2,476 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.

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, Plymouth, MI and Phuket 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 48% less than in Plymouth, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.