Cost of Living Comparison Between Portland, OR and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Portland, OR and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,928 in Portland, OR versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,345 in Portland, OR versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,762 in Portland, OR versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Portland, OR is roughly 134% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Portland, OR is 119% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$4.55 ฿153

347.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 $89.6

$46.18 ฿1,553

94.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$8.84 ฿297

38.12%

Cappuccino

$4.78 $4.78

$3.06 ฿103

56.21%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$0.73 ฿24.40

250.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.40 ฿13.39

392.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 $6.84

$2.43 ฿81.8

181.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.78 ฿127

54.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.26 ฿76.0

-54.87%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.81 ฿60.9

130.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.25 ฿75.8

91.56%

Eggs

$4.66 $4.66

$2.25 ฿75.5

107.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.96 $14.96

$19.51 ฿656

-23.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.50 $11.50

$3.65 ฿123

215.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$13.05 ฿439

18.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.23 ฿109

56.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.62 ฿54.4

22.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.38 ฿80.1

86.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.03 ฿68.1

145.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.53 ฿51.6

87.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.50 ฿50.5

34.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.98 ฿32.91

129.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.52 ฿17.39

325.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.12 $11.12

$4.44 ฿149

150.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$18.32 ฿616

-18.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.86 ฿62.7

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.68 ฿90.1

76.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.41 ฿47.46

104.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$11.70 ฿393

765.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.11 ฿105

19.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.04 ฿35.06

89.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.83 $35.83

$14.11 ฿474

153.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.31 ฿44.10

-18.32%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

22.12%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-21.48%

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

$221 $221

$122 ฿4,118

80.60%

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

$68.7 $68.7

$13.59 ฿457

405.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 $62.7

$18.70 ฿629

235.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.43 $40.43

$60.5 ฿2,034

-33.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.7 $52.7

$16.98 ฿571

210.19%

Cinema Ticket

$12.74 $12.74

$9.07 ฿305

40.46%

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

$1,778 $1,778

$706 ฿23.8K

151.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K $19.2K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

21.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$58.6 ฿1,969

8.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.79 $46.79

$35.36 ฿1,189

32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$115 ฿3,883

-10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$83.7 ฿2,816

38.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$626 ฿21.0K

194.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 $1,525

$445 ฿15.0K

242.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,439 $3,439

$2,040 ฿68.6K

68.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 $2,589

$1,492 ฿50.2K

73.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,968 $3,968

$3,483 ฿117.1K

13.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 $3,336

$2,577 ฿86.7K

29.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,692 $4,692

$500 ฿16.8K

838.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

5.33

20.26%

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

Last update for Portland, OR: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,844 in Portland, OR and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portland, OR pays 839% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Portland, OR vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $289 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

Portland, OR vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 839% higher in Portland, OR, 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: $1,844 in Portland, OR versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,778 in Portland, OR versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Portland, OR. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,928 in Portland, OR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Portland, OR. 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 Portland, OR, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Portland, OR 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 134% less than in Portland, OR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.