😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,568 in Robinson, IL versus $1,265 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,667 in Robinson, IL versus $2,297 in Phuket.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,767 in Robinson, IL versus $3,329 in Phuket.
😐Living in Robinson, IL is roughly 103% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Robinson, IL is 92% above, Phuket is 6% below.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Robinson, IL
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.48$25.48
$4.70฿154
442.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.7$68.7
$45.37฿1,489
51.42%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.96$10.96
$8.43฿277
30.01%
Cappuccino
$4.88$4.88
$2.93฿96.1
66.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42$2.42
$0.69฿22.50
250.72%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97$1.97
$0.37฿12.04
432.43%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$5.44$5.44
$2.41฿79.0
125.73%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$6.02$6.02
$3.72฿122
61.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Robinson, IL
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.03$1.03
$2.23฿73.3
-53.81%
White Bread(500g)
$2.79$2.79
$1.83฿60.1
52.46%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$4.98$4.98
$2.17฿71.1
129.49%
Eggs
$2.78$2.78
$2.21฿72.6
25.79%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.40$13.40
$19.74฿648
-32.12%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.30$7.30
$3.63฿119
101.10%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$5.95$5.95
$13.53฿444
-56.02%
Apples(1kg)
$3.81$3.81
$3.28฿108
16.16%
Banana(1kg)
$1.14$1.14
$1.61฿52.9
-29.19%
Oranges(1kg)
$3.49$3.49
$2.41฿79.0
44.81%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.02$4.02
$2.08฿68.4
93.27%
Potato(1kg)
$2.67$2.67
$1.53฿50.2
74.51%
Onion(1kg)
$2.57$2.57
$1.48฿48.58
73.65%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.91$1.91
$0.99฿32.44
92.93%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.45$2.45
$0.51฿16.74
380.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.37$7.37
$4.41฿145
67.12%
Wine(Bottle)
$15.02$15.02
$19.38฿636
-22.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.07$2.07
$1.78฿58.4
16.29%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.03$4.03
$2.71฿89.0
48.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Robinson, IL
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.97$1.97
$1.37฿44.99
43.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$11.39฿374
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.40$3.40
$3.02฿99.1
12.58%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.59$1.59
$0.99฿32.63
60.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$40.34$40.34
$14.10฿463
186.10%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.84$0.84
$1.36฿44.71
-38.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.9K$31.9K
$28.2K฿925.3K
13.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K$26.6K
$32.9K฿1.1M
-19.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Robinson, IL
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$243$243
$122฿3,993
99.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.8$51.8
$13.57฿445
281.87%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.8$69.8
$18.31฿601
281.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Robinson, IL
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$43.57$43.57
$60.2฿1,976
-27.65%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.14฿562
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.72$12.72
$8.69฿285
46.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Robinson, IL
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$407$407
$693฿22.8K
-41.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$23.7K$23.7K
$15.7K฿514.7K
51.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Robinson, IL
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.7$50.7
$59.5฿1,953
-14.90%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.82$34.82
$34.77฿1,141
0.14%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$60.9$60.9
$115฿3,760
-46.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.1$80.1
$83.3฿2,733
-3.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Robinson, IL
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,597$1,597
$613฿20.1K
160.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,344$1,344
$437฿14.3K
207.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,679$2,679
$2,094฿68.7K
27.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,241$2,241
$1,509฿49.5K
48.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,813$2,813
$3,749฿123.0K
-24.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,365$2,365
$2,616฿85.8K
-9.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Robinson, IL
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$508฿16.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
6
5.33
12.57%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Robinson, IL: June 1, 2026
Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,597 in Robinson, IL and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $69.0 in Robinson, IL vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $293 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
Robinson, IL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Robinson, IL?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,852 in Robinson, IL and $1,898 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.
What is the rent difference between Robinson, IL and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,597 in Robinson, IL versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $407 in Robinson, IL versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Robinson, IL or Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $69.0 in Robinson, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Robinson, IL or Phuket?
At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,568 in Robinson, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Robinson, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Robinson, IL or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Robinson, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Robinson, IL or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Robinson, IL 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 103% less than in Robinson, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Robinson, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared