Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Arthur, TX and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
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Port Arthur, TX Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Port Arthur, TX $2,634
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,860 in Port Arthur, TX versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Port Arthur, TX $3,860
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,086 in Port Arthur, TX versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Port Arthur, TX $5,086
Phuket $3,154

Living in Port Arthur, TX is roughly 106% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Arthur, TX is 94% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 $18.63

$4.47 ฿151

316.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$32.41 ฿1,094

128.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$8.81 ฿297

27.13%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$2.83 ฿95.5

75.27%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$0.87 ฿29.43

193.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.49 ฿16.67

295.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$2.56 ฿86.4

140.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.68 ฿124

88.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.66 ฿56.0

-37.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.46 ฿49.35

134.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.50 ฿50.6

188.00%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$2.09 ฿70.5

92.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$19.07 ฿644

-34.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$3.30 ฿111

250.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$10.91 ฿368

42.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.93 ฿99.0

65.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.69 ฿57.1

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.25 ฿75.8

89.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.08 ฿70.1

125.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.51 ฿51.0

92.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.38 ฿46.56

110.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.07 ฿35.99

97.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.52 ฿17.52

319.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.43 $9.43

$4.20 ฿142

124.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 $13.75

$18.79 ฿634

-26.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.82 ฿61.5

-2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.84 ฿95.9

15.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.45 ฿49.03

39.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 $66.3

$56.7 ฿1,913

17.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.02 ฿102

16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.02 ฿34.36

56.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 $29.41

$3.69 ฿125

697.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.47 ฿49.81

-42.18%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

12.24%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

-2.63%

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

$190 $190

$96.4 ฿3,254

97.70%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$11.26 ฿380

371.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$16.85 ฿569

293.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.60 $43.60

$67.2 ฿2,270

-35.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$7.50 ฿253

83.07%

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

$1,279 $1,279

$476 ฿16.1K

168.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

107.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$62.4 ฿2,106

-19.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 $39.34

$28.41 ฿959

38.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$94.3 ฿3,184

-7.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$85.8 ฿2,898

31.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$716 ฿24.2K

127.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$491 ฿16.6K

174.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 $2,594

$1,927 ฿65.1K

34.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,244 $2,244

$1,431 ฿48.3K

56.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,790 $2,790

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-33.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-21.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.57

16.88%

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

Last update for Port Arthur, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Arthur, TX

$1.3K 51.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 63.5% $855

Groceries & Markets

Port Arthur, TX

$387 14.7%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 31.1% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Arthur, TX

$310 11.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 59.8% $185

Eating Out

Port Arthur, TX

$305 11.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 60.1% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Port Arthur, TX

$130 5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 6.4% $8.4

Getting Around

Port Arthur, TX

$86 3.3%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 17.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Port Arthur, TX

$71 2.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 15.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74 in Port Arthur, TX vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:04 1:04 PM

01:04 1:04 AM

12 h ahead of Port Arthur, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,135

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Port Arthur, TX Phuket 15,610 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Arthur, TX
Phuket

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

Port Arthur, TX vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,951 in Port Arthur, TX and $1,917 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: $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,279 in Port Arthur, TX 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 45% higher in Port Arthur, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Port Arthur, TX. 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 51% less than in Port Arthur, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.