Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Cloud, MN and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Saint Cloud, MN
Learn more

Saint Cloud, MN Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,894

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Saint Cloud, MN $1,894
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,718 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Saint Cloud, MN $2,718
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,543 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Saint Cloud, MN $3,543
Phuket $2,845

Living in Saint Cloud, MN is roughly 57% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Cloud, MN is 40% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.19 $15.19

$4.40 ฿147

245.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.27 $40.27

$32.26 ฿1,078

24.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 $8.63

$8.76 ฿293

-1.48%

Cappuccino

$4.47 $4.47

$2.83 ฿94.5

57.95%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$0.90 ฿30.14

220.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.47 ฿15.56

378.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.55 ฿85.2

138.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.83 ฿128

26.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.73 ฿57.7

-46.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.47 ฿49.11

2.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.51 ฿50.6

25.83%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$2.17 ฿72.7

74.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 $9.54

$19.70 ฿658

-51.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$3.34 ฿112

95.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.42 $19.42

$11.16 ฿373

74.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.85 ฿95.1

28.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.70 ฿56.9

-35.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.19 ฿73.3

28.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.05 ฿68.4

77.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.45 ฿48.57

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.38 ฿46.16

110.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.07 ฿35.69

85.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.51 ฿16.91

503.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 $11.38

$4.26 ฿142

167.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$18.58 ฿621

-18.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.78 ฿59.7

-5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.85 ฿95.2

6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.26 ฿75.6

-24.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$22.10 ฿738

170.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.01 ฿101

15.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.06 ฿35.34

-20.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 $12.16

$3.86 ฿129

215.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.45 ฿48.45

-36.55%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

14.73%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-12.02%

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

$118 $118

$96.4 ฿3,221

22.34%

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

$46.72 $46.72

$11.04 ฿369

323.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.38 $43.38

$17.14 ฿573

153.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.65 $24.65

$52.2 ฿1,744

-52.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 $28.09

$11.16 ฿373

151.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 $12.18

$7.81 ฿261

55.95%

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

$1,709 $1,709

$556 ฿18.6K

207.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,778 $5,778

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-50.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 $57.4

$64.2 ฿2,146

-10.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$28.69 ฿959

74.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 $73.4

$95.4 ฿3,187

-23.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 $78.9

$88.0 ฿2,940

-10.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 $931

$737 ฿24.6K

26.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 $862

$462 ฿15.5K

86.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-34.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$1,201 ฿40.1K

7.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,993 $1,993

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-42.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,745 $1,745

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-30.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,967 $3,967

$501 ฿16.7K

692.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

5.57

18.67%

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

Last update for Saint Cloud, MN: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Saint Cloud, MN

$862 45.5%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 46.3% $399

Groceries & Markets

Saint Cloud, MN

$322 17%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 16.6% $53

Eating Out

Saint Cloud, MN

$262 13.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 53.7% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Cloud, MN

$208 11%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 40.1% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Cloud, MN

$117 6.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 6.3% $7.4

Getting Around

Saint Cloud, MN

$74 3.9%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 47% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Cloud, MN

$49 2.6%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 38.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $931 in Saint Cloud, MN and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Cloud, MN pays 692% 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: $40.00 in Saint Cloud, MN vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Cloud, MN

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

13:28 1:28 PM

12 h ahead of Saint Cloud, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,109

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint Cloud, MN Phuket 13,940 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Cloud, MN
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

Saint Cloud, MN vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 692% higher in Saint Cloud, MN, 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: $931 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,709 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Saint Cloud, MN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Cloud, MN. 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 Cloud, MN, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint Cloud, MN 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 57% less than in Saint Cloud, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.