Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redlands, CA and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $3,621 in Redlands, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Redlands, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,621
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,621 in Redlands, CA versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Redlands, CA $3,621
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,009 in Redlands, CA versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Redlands, CA $5,009
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,397 in Redlands, CA versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Redlands, CA $6,397
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Redlands, CA is roughly 200% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Redlands, CA is 168% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Redlands, CA
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.97 $24.97
$4.58 ฿153
445.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.4 $76.4
$32.48 ฿1,086
135.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$16.32 $16.32
$8.55 ฿286
90.88%
Cappuccino
$6.12 $6.12
$2.72 ฿91.0
125.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 $3.04
$0.94 ฿31.25
223.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 $2.40
$0.49 ฿16.39
389.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.95 $7.95
$2.59 ฿86.6
206.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.15 $10.15
$3.83 ฿128
165.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Redlands, CA
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.35 $1.35
$1.74 ฿58.1
-22.41%
White Bread (500g)
$4.74 $4.74
$1.43 ฿47.82
231.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.74 $4.74
$1.53 ฿51.0
209.80%
Eggs
$5.64 $5.64
$2.17 ฿72.7
159.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.40 $13.40
$19.15 ฿640
-30.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.03 $11.03
$3.30 ฿110
234.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.78 $19.78
$11.14 ฿372
77.56%
Apples (1kg)
$5.07 $5.07
$2.95 ฿98.5
71.86%
Banana (1kg)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.68 ฿56.1
44.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.90 $4.90
$2.30 ฿76.8
113.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.45 $5.45
$2.13 ฿71.3
155.87%
Potato (1kg)
$3.43 $3.43
$1.53 ฿51.1
124.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.99 $2.99
$1.36 ฿45.55
119.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.12 ฿37.44
83.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.85 $2.85
$0.55 ฿18.24
418.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.68 $11.68
$4.26 ฿142
174.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.92 $14.92
$18.19 ฿608
-17.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.74 ฿58.2
39.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 $4.94
$2.79 ฿93.3
77.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Redlands, CA
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.02 $2.02
$2.22 ฿74.1
-9.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.71 $34.71
$22.06 ฿737
57.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 $3.12
$2.91 ฿97.3
7.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.80 $1.80
$1.01 ฿33.79
78.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.29 $32.29
$3.83 ฿128
743.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 $1.50
$1.49 ฿49.85
0.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.3K $36.3K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
36.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
-2.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Redlands, CA
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$277 $277
$99.4 ฿3,321
179.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$80.9 $80.9
$11.28 ฿377
617.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.8 $79.8
$17.36 ฿580
359.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Redlands, CA
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.19 $25.19
$52.3 ฿1,747
-51.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.85 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$19.98 $19.98
$7.57 ฿253
163.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Redlands, CA
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,188 $1,188
$558 ฿18.7K
112.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$32.1K $32.1K
$11.5K ฿383.9K
179.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Redlands, CA
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.5 $62.5
$62.9 ฿2,102
-0.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.6 $50.6
$28.58 ฿955
76.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$105 $105
$96.1 ฿3,213
9.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$88.1 ฿2,943
19.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Redlands, CA
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,937 $1,937
$729 ฿24.4K
165.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,059 $2,059
$460 ฿15.4K
347.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,465 $3,465
$2,096 ฿70.0K
65.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,070 $3,070
$1,222 ฿40.8K
151.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,057 $4,057
$3,459 ฿115.6K
17.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,156 $4,156
$2,489 ฿83.2K
66.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Redlands, CA
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,746 $4,746
$493 ฿16.5K
862.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.86
5.57
23.16%

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

Last update for Redlands, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Redlands, CA
$2.1K
Phuket
$460 77.7% $1.6K
Groceries & Markets
Redlands, CA
$454
Phuket
$268 41.1% $187
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Redlands, CA
$438
Phuket
$128 70.8% $310
Eating Out
Redlands, CA
$404
Phuket
$121 70% $283
Clothing & Footwear
Redlands, CA
$146
Phuket
$124 14.9% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Redlands, CA
$65
Phuket
$67 3.5% $2.3
Getting Around
Redlands, CA
$55
Phuket
$39 29.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,937 in Redlands, CA and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Redlands, CA pays 863% 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: $76.0 in Redlands, CA vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $454 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Redlands, CA
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
19:31 7:31 PM
09:31 9:31 AM
14 h ahead of Redlands, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
68,747
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Redlands, CA Phuket 14,030 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Redlands, 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
Redlands, CA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Redlands, CA?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 200% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Redlands, CA or Phuket?
Average pay runs 863% higher in Redlands, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Redlands, CA and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,937 in Redlands, CA versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,188 in Redlands, CA versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Redlands, CA and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Redlands, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Redlands, CA or in Phuket?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $3,621 in Redlands, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Redlands, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Redlands, CA or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Redlands, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Redlands, CA or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Redlands, 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Redlands, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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