Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Island, IL and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Island, IL and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,539 in Rock Island, IL versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,707 in Rock Island, IL versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,875 in Rock Island, IL versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Rock Island, IL is roughly 106% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rock Island, IL is 90% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 $15.92

$4.63 ฿151

243.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.4 $91.4

$46.84 ฿1,532

95.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$8.84 ฿289

34.62%

Cappuccino

$6.32 $6.32

$3.00 ฿98.0

110.67%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$0.74 ฿24.25

264.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.37 ฿11.95

532.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.44 ฿79.8

101.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.61 ฿118

97.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.26 ฿73.9

-56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.84 ฿60.1

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.24 ฿73.4

0.45%

Eggs

$3.72 $3.72

$2.32 ฿75.7

60.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$19.67 ฿643

-36.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$3.65 ฿119

307.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$13.10 ฿428

37.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.39 ฿111

28.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.64 ฿53.7

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.41 ฿79.0

54.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.03 ฿66.4

68.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.56 ฿50.9

7.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.50 ฿48.94

102.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.02 ฿33.50

148.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.49 ฿16.00

120.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$4.45 ฿145

99.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$18.88 ฿617

-20.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.78 ฿58.1

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.75 ฿90.1

44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.40 ฿45.81

44.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.12 ฿102

-37.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.00 ฿32.67

63.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.67 $19.67

$14.09 ฿461

39.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.35 ฿44.19

-37.78%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-2.52%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-25.01%

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

$147 $147

$125 ฿4,087

17.89%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$13.57 ฿444

279.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 $74.3

$18.52 ฿606

301.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.53 $43.53

$61.5 ฿2,010

-29.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$9.19 ฿300

61.59%

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

$1,352 $1,352

$698 ฿22.8K

93.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K $11.6K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$57.8 ฿1,889

8.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.59 $49.59

$35.24 ฿1,152

40.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 $73.9

$113 ฿3,699

-34.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$86.4 ฿2,825

62.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$616 ฿20.1K

159.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 $1,367

$446 ฿14.6K

206.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,580 $2,580

$2,048 ฿67.0K

25.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,263 $2,263

$1,492 ฿48.8K

51.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,690 $2,690

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-28.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-11.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

5.33

24.02%

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

Last update for Rock Island, IL: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,597 in Rock Island, IL and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91.0 in Rock Island, IL vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $292 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

Rock Island, IL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 106% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,808 in Rock Island, IL and $1,847 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: $1,597 in Rock Island, IL versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,352 in Rock Island, IL versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $91.0 in Rock Island, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,539 in Rock Island, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rock Island, IL. 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 Rock Island, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rock Island, 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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Rock Island, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.