Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rancho Cucamonga, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

164

Cost of Living Index in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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Rancho Cucamonga, CA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,385

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA $3,385
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,782 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA $4,782
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,179 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA $6,179
Phuket $2,867

Living in Rancho Cucamonga, CA is roughly 180% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rancho Cucamonga, CA is 151% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.89 $24.89

$4.58 ฿153

443.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$32.48 ฿1,086

148.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.87 $15.87

$8.55 ฿286

85.61%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$2.72 ฿91.0

107.35%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$0.94 ฿31.25

235.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.49 ฿16.39

375.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 $7.54

$2.59 ฿86.6

191.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$3.83 ฿128

141.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.74 ฿58.1

-29.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.43 ฿47.82

194.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.53 ฿51.0

213.73%

Eggs

$4.82 $4.82

$2.17 ฿72.7

122.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$19.15 ฿640

-31.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 $10.92

$3.30 ฿110

230.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$11.14 ฿372

35.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.95 ฿98.5

65.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.68 ฿56.1

48.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.30 ฿76.8

136.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$2.13 ฿71.3

167.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.53 ฿51.1

144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.36 ฿45.55

123.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.12 ฿37.44

92.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$0.55 ฿18.24

361.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$4.26 ฿142

176.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$18.19 ฿608

-17.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.74 ฿58.2

42.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.79 ฿93.3

46.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 ฿74.1

-11.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$22.06 ฿737

169.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.91 ฿97.3

-14.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.49 ฿49.85

-0.67%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

40.31%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-1.55%

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

$220 $220

$99.4 ฿3,321

121.31%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$11.28 ฿377

541.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$17.36 ฿580

319.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.28 $23.28

$52.3 ฿1,747

-55.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.85 $9.85

$10.85 ฿362

-9.22%

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 $17.30

$7.57 ฿253

128.53%

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

$1,005 $1,005

$558 ฿18.7K

80.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 $58.1

$62.9 ฿2,102

-7.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.54 $39.54

$28.58 ฿955

38.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$96.1 ฿3,213

11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$88.1 ฿2,943

64.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$729 ฿24.4K

238.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 $1,914

$460 ฿15.4K

316.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 $3,828

$2,096 ฿70.0K

82.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,947 $2,947

$1,222 ฿40.8K

141.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,140 $5,140

$493 ฿16.5K

942.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

5.57

13.29%

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

Last update for Rancho Cucamonga, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$1.9K 56.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 76% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$429 12.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 37.6% $161

Eating Out

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$393 11.6%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 69.1% $271

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$365 10.8%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 64.9% $237

Clothing & Footwear

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$157 4.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 21% $33

Getting Around

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$70 * 2.1%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 44.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$58 1.7%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 16.5% $9.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA pays 943% 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: $81.0 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

00:55 12:55 AM

14 h ahead of Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,714

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Rancho Cucamonga, CA Phuket 14,000 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 943% higher in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, 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: $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,005 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. 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 Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 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 180% less than in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.