Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Salt Lake City, UT and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,747 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,910 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,073 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Salt Lake City, UT is roughly 117% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salt Lake City, UT is 106% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.35 $18.35

$4.48 ฿150

309.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 $83.5

$45.59 ฿1,521

83.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 $11.41

$8.76 ฿292

30.25%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$2.97 ฿99.0

65.32%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$0.69 ฿22.90

240.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.39 ฿13.04

364.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$2.53 ฿84.4

136.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 $7.58

$3.75 ฿125

102.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.15 ฿71.6

-53.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.82 ฿60.6

77.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.18 ฿72.9

78.44%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$2.25 ฿75.0

91.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.41 $12.41

$20.00 ฿667

-37.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 $10.24

$3.63 ฿121

182.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.36 $16.36

$13.56 ฿452

20.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.24 ฿108

56.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.64 ฿54.6

22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.33 ฿77.8

51.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.07 ฿69.1

119.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.55 ฿51.6

61.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.46 ฿48.54

80.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.98 ฿32.86

96.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.48 ฿16.09

293.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.24 $9.24

$4.35 ฿145

112.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.88 $15.88

$18.57 ฿620

-14.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.86 ฿61.9

7.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.65 ฿88.6

-5.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.42 ฿47.28

80.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.3 $84.3

$11.57 ฿386

628.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.17 ฿106

-22.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.03 ฿34.41

36.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.14 $25.14

$13.89 ฿463

80.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.34 ฿44.84

-26.87%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-8.70%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-20.07%

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

$178 $178

$123 ฿4,105

44.37%

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

$68.6 $68.6

$13.77 ฿459

398.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.2 $83.2

$18.33 ฿611

354.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.57 $27.57

$60.7 ฿2,025

-54.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.98 $15.98

$17.16 ฿573

-6.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.81 $13.81

$8.87 ฿296

55.69%

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

$985 $985

$688 ฿22.9K

43.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K $18.6K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

18.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$59.3 ฿1,978

9.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.05 $45.05

$34.69 ฿1,157

29.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$115 ฿3,843

-9.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$83.8 ฿2,794

32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$621 ฿20.7K

158.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$446 ฿14.9K

207.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,799 $2,799

$2,034 ฿67.8K

37.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$1,496 ฿49.9K

42.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 $4,170

$3,455 ฿115.3K

20.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,960 $2,960

$2,531 ฿84.4K

16.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,424 $4,424

$494 ฿16.5K

796.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

5.33

21.76%

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

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Salt Lake City, UT and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salt Lake City, UT pays 796% 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: $83.0 in Salt Lake City, UT vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $291 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

Salt Lake City, UT vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 796% higher in Salt Lake City, UT, 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: $1,608 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $985 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Salt Lake City, UT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,747 in Salt Lake City, UT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Salt Lake City, UT. 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 Salt Lake City, UT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.