Cost of Living Comparison Between Royal Oak, MI and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Royal Oak, MI and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,714 in Royal Oak, MI versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,091 in Royal Oak, MI versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,469 in Royal Oak, MI versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Royal Oak, MI is roughly 120% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Royal Oak, MI is 98% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 $17.18

$4.41 ฿147

289.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.1 $63.1

$32.26 ฿1,074

95.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.37 $12.37

$8.93 ฿297

38.52%

Cappuccino

$5.69 $5.69

$2.90 ฿96.4

96.21%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$0.88 ฿29.30

187.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.48 ฿16.01

302.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.35 ฿78.3

156.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.72 ฿124

113.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.87 ฿62.1

-45.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.47 ฿48.81

140.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.55 ฿51.7

247.74%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$2.10 ฿70.0

89.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$19.59 ฿652

-32.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.52 $11.52

$3.42 ฿114

236.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.31 $16.31

$11.38 ฿379

43.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.98 ฿99.3

66.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.68 ฿56.1

-11.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.21 ฿73.5

71.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.16 ฿72.0

118.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.52 ฿50.8

67.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.34 ฿44.55

146.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.13 ฿37.57

92.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.55 ฿18.19

261.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$4.26 ฿142

138.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$19.09 ฿635

-22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.78 ฿59.2

41.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.78 ฿92.6

23.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.23 ฿74.2

14.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.2 $70.2

$22.74 ฿757

208.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.03 ฿101

-8.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.02 ฿34.06

49.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.43 $24.43

$3.89 ฿130

528.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.49 ฿49.63

-32.89%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

37.36%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-7.83%

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

$209 $209

$102 ฿3,411

104.08%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$11.33 ฿377

439.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$17.40 ฿579

298.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$11.97 $11.97

$7.69 ฿256

55.66%

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

$1,094 $1,094

$561 ฿18.7K

95.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K $19.0K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

64.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 $59.0

$63.0 ฿2,098

-6.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.64 $37.64

$29.52 ฿983

27.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 $97.6

$98.0 ฿3,263

-0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$88.5 ฿2,946

36.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 $1,524

$738 ฿24.6K

106.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 $1,396

$482 ฿16.1K

189.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,456 $3,456

$2,107 ฿70.1K

64.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 $2,710

$1,226 ฿40.8K

121.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,862 $5,862

$494 ฿16.4K

1087.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.06

5.57

8.80%

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

Last update for Royal Oak, MI: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Royal Oak, MI and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Royal Oak, MI pays 1088% 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: $63.0 in Royal Oak, MI vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $274 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

Royal Oak, MI 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 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1088% higher in Royal Oak, MI, 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: $1,524 in Royal Oak, MI versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,094 in Royal Oak, MI versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Royal Oak, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,714 in Royal Oak, MI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Royal Oak, MI. 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 Royal Oak, MI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Royal Oak, MI 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 120% less than in Royal Oak, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.