Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Charles, IL and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Charles, IL and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,672 in Saint Charles, IL versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Saint Charles, IL versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,463 in Saint Charles, IL versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Saint Charles, IL is roughly 117% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Charles, IL is 95% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.09 $37.09

$4.41 ฿147

741.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$32.26 ฿1,073

211.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 $10.59

$8.93 ฿297

18.59%

Cappuccino

$7.07 $7.07

$2.90 ฿96.3

143.79%

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

$3.24 $3.24

$0.88 ฿29.27

268.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.48 ฿16.00

535.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 $7.17

$2.35 ฿78.2

205.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 $7.57

$3.72 ฿124

103.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.87 ฿62.0

-45.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.47 ฿48.75

134.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.55 ฿51.6

184.52%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$2.10 ฿69.9

112.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$19.59 ฿651

-35.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.57 $11.57

$3.42 ฿114

238.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.94 $12.94

$11.38 ฿378

13.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.98 ฿99.2

69.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.68 ฿56.0

-37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.21 ฿73.5

93.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.16 ฿71.9

112.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.52 ฿50.7

85.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.34 ฿44.49

129.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.13 ฿37.53

34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.55 ฿18.17

305.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$4.26 ฿142

130.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$19.09 ฿635

-20.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.78 ฿59.2

11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.78 ฿92.5

20.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.23 ฿74.1

-11.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.03 ฿101

-1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.02 ฿34.02

69.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.18 $30.18

$3.89 ฿129

675.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.49 ฿49.57

-34.90%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

33.20%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-6.70%

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

$202 $202

$102 ฿3,407

96.95%

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

$57.7 $57.7

$11.33 ฿377

409.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 $70.0

$17.40 ฿578

302.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.22 $42.22

$52.1 ฿1,732

-18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$14.20 $14.20

$7.69 ฿256

84.66%

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

$1,406 $1,406

$561 ฿18.6K

150.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

100.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$63.0 ฿2,096

-18.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.31 $41.31

$29.52 ฿982

39.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 $89.3

$98.0 ฿3,259

-8.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$88.5 ฿2,943

28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$738 ฿24.5K

111.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 $1,309

$482 ฿16.0K

171.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 $2,510

$2,107 ฿70.0K

19.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,097 $2,097

$1,226 ฿40.8K

71.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,787 $2,787

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-22.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,370 $2,370

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-8.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

5.57

9.87%

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

Last update for Saint Charles, IL: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Saint Charles, IL and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $100 in Saint Charles, IL vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 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

Saint Charles, IL vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,008 in Saint Charles, 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: $1,565 in Saint Charles, IL versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,406 in Saint Charles, IL versus $561 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 $32.00 versus $100 in Saint Charles, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,672 in Saint Charles, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Charles, 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 Saint Charles, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint Charles, 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 117% less than in Saint Charles, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.