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: $2,692 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,875 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,058 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Salt Lake City, UT is roughly 119% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salt Lake City, UT is 101% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.77 $18.77

$4.63 ฿151

305.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 $83.1

$46.84 ฿1,532

77.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 $11.28

$8.84 ฿289

27.60%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.00 ฿98.0

71.67%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$0.74 ฿24.25

202.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.37 ฿11.95

375.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.44 ฿79.8

152.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 $7.49

$3.61 ฿118

107.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.26 ฿73.9

-59.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.84 ฿60.1

80.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.24 ฿73.4

71.43%

Eggs

$4.36 $4.36

$2.32 ฿75.7

87.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$19.67 ฿643

-35.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 $10.24

$3.65 ฿119

180.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.51 $16.51

$13.10 ฿428

26.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.39 ฿111

53.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.64 ฿53.7

27.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.41 ฿79.0

48.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.03 ฿66.4

126.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.56 ฿50.9

60.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.50 ฿48.94

82.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.02 ฿33.50

82.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.49 ฿16.00

302.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 $9.17

$4.45 ฿145

106.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.39 $15.39

$18.88 ฿617

-18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.78 ฿58.1

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.75 ฿90.1

-10.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.40 ฿45.81

79.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.3 $86.3

$11.48 ฿376

652.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.12 ฿102

-17.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.00 ฿32.67

42.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.23 $25.23

$14.09 ฿461

79.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.35 ฿44.19

-31.85%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

-6.75%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.45%

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

$174 $174

$125 ฿4,087

39.52%

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

$66.1 $66.1

$13.57 ฿444

387.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.6 $81.6

$18.52 ฿606

340.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.66 $27.66

$61.5 ฿2,010

-55.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.84 ฿551

-3.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 $14.05

$9.19 ฿300

52.88%

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

$991 $991

$698 ฿22.8K

41.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K $18.7K

$15.6K ฿509.9K

19.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 $65.3

$57.8 ฿1,889

12.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.25 $44.25

$35.24 ฿1,152

25.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$113 ฿3,699

-8.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$86.4 ฿2,825

28.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 $1,644

$616 ฿20.1K

166.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 $1,411

$446 ฿14.6K

216.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,853 $2,853

$2,048 ฿67.0K

39.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,145 $2,145

$1,492 ฿48.8K

43.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,197 $4,197

$3,779 ฿123.6K

11.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,931 $2,931

$2,649 ฿86.6K

10.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,283 $4,283

$524 ฿17.1K

717.58%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,644 in Salt Lake City, UT and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salt Lake City, UT pays 718% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 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

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 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Salt Lake City, UT pays 718% more on average, 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: $1,644 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $991 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $698 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 $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,692 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 119% less than in Salt Lake City, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.