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: $2,653 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,846 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,040 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Salt Lake City, UT is roughly 115% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Salt Lake City, UT is 94% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.95 $17.95

$4.41 ฿147

307.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$32.26 ฿1,073

129.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$8.93 ฿297

13.21%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$2.90 ฿96.3

74.14%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$0.88 ฿29.27

153.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.48 ฿16.00

260.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.35 ฿78.2

149.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.72 ฿124

119.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.87 ฿62.0

-49.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.47 ฿48.75

144.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.55 ฿51.6

178.06%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$2.10 ฿69.9

99.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$19.59 ฿651

-40.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$3.42 ฿114

259.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.47 $17.47

$11.38 ฿378

53.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.98 ฿99.2

42.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.68 ฿56.0

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.21 ฿73.5

66.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.16 ฿71.9

79.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.52 ฿50.7

46.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.34 ฿44.49

82.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.13 ฿37.53

69.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.55 ฿18.17

252.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 $10.04

$4.26 ฿142

135.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$19.09 ฿635

-21.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.78 ฿59.2

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.78 ฿92.5

23.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.23 ฿74.1

13.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 $84.4

$22.74 ฿756

271.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.03 ฿101

-15.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.02 ฿34.02

129.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.55 $24.55

$3.89 ฿129

531.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.49 ฿49.57

-25.50%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

40.11%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

-6.74%

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

$198 $198

$102 ฿3,407

93.18%

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

$48.15 $48.15

$11.33 ฿377

324.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$17.40 ฿578

345.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.77 $34.77

$52.1 ฿1,732

-33.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.99 $26.99

$11.07 ฿368

143.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 $14.99

$7.69 ฿256

94.93%

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

$1,301 $1,301

$561 ฿18.6K

132.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K $20.8K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

80.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$63.0 ฿2,096

10.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.04 $46.04

$29.52 ฿982

55.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$98.0 ฿3,259

15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$88.5 ฿2,943

22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 $1,623

$738 ฿24.5K

119.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 $1,378

$482 ฿16.0K

185.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,852 $2,852

$2,107 ฿70.0K

35.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 $2,174

$1,226 ฿40.8K

77.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,214 $4,214

$3,617 ฿120.3K

16.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,923 $2,923

$2,603 ฿86.5K

12.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,188 $4,188

$494 ฿16.4K

748.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.04

5.57

8.44%

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

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,623 in Salt Lake City, UT and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salt Lake City, UT pays 748% 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: $74.0 in Salt Lake City, UT vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 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

Salt Lake City, UT 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 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 748% 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: $1,623 in Salt Lake City, UT versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,301 in Salt Lake City, UT 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 41% 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 $2,653 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 115% less than in Salt Lake City, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.