Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pomona, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,729 in Pomona, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Pomona, CA
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Pomona, CA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Pomona, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,729

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,729 in Pomona, CA versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Pomona, CA $2,729
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,196 in Pomona, CA versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Pomona, CA $4,196
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,663 in Pomona, CA versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Pomona, CA $5,663
Phuket $3,154

Living in Pomona, CA is roughly 114% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pomona, CA is 101% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.85 $27.85

$4.47 ฿151

523.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 $75.0

$32.41 ฿1,092

131.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$8.81 ฿297

13.85%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$2.83 ฿95.3

87.99%

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

$1.71 $1.71

$0.87 ฿29.37

96.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.49 ฿16.64

159.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.56 ฿86.2

89.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.68 ฿124

57.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.66 ฿55.9

-22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.46 ฿49.25

161.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.50 ฿50.4

96.00%

Eggs

$2.94 $2.94

$2.09 ฿70.4

40.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 $13.71

$19.07 ฿642

-28.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$3.30 ฿111

294.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$10.91 ฿368

12.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.93 ฿98.7

13.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.69 ฿56.9

-20.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.25 ฿75.7

4.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.08 ฿70.0

7.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.51 ฿50.9

17.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.38 ฿46.47

24.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.07 ฿35.91

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$0.52 ฿17.49

236.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 $10.80

$4.20 ฿142

157.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.44 $13.44

$18.79 ฿633

-28.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.82 ฿61.4

-12.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.84 ฿95.7

-2.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.45 ฿48.93

58.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.30 $19.30

$56.7 ฿1,909

-65.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.02 ฿102

17.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.02 ฿34.29

78.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 $24.44

$3.69 ฿124

562.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.47 ฿49.70

-8.16%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$26.8K ฿902.4K

13.28%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K ฿899.5K

-2.41%

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

$247 $247

$96.4 ฿3,247

156.48%

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

$60.3 $60.3

$11.26 ฿380

435.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.98 $47.98

$16.85 ฿568

184.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.25 $20.25

$67.2 ฿2,266

-69.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.64 $40.64

$10.73 ฿361

278.75%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 $12.18

$7.50 ฿253

62.40%

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

$557 $557

$476 ฿16.0K

16.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,257 $8,257

$11.3K ฿379.6K

-26.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.17 $31.17

$62.4 ฿2,102

-50.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 $34.96

$28.41 ฿957

23.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 $72.2

$94.3 ฿3,178

-23.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 $91.4

$85.8 ฿2,892

6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 $1,927

$716 ฿24.1K

169.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,482 $1,482

$491 ฿16.5K

201.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,482 $3,482

$1,927 ฿64.9K

80.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,898 $2,898

$1,431 ฿48.2K

102.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.2K $19.2K

$4,175 ฿140.7K

359.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,453 $4,453

$3,045 ฿102.6K

46.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,623 $3,623

$502 ฿16.9K

621.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.57

16.70%

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

Last update for Pomona, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pomona, CA

$1.5K 54.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 66.9% $991

Eating Out

Pomona, CA

$365 13.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 66.6% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pomona, CA

$355 13%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 65% $231

Groceries & Markets

Pomona, CA

$337 12.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 21.1% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Pomona, CA

$103 3.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 17.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Pomona, CA

$45 1.6%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 84.3% $38

Getting Around

Pomona, CA

$41 1.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 71.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,927 in Pomona, CA and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pomona, CA pays about 7.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Pomona, CA vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pomona, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

07:41 7:41 AM

15 h ahead of Pomona, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

154,271

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 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 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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

From you

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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

Pomona, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Pomona, CA is about 7.2 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: $1,927 in Pomona, CA versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Pomona, CA versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Pomona, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,729 in Pomona, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pomona, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Pomona, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.