Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Scranton, PA versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,155 in Scranton, PA versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,056 in Scranton, PA versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Scranton, PA is roughly 78% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Scranton, PA is 69% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 $11.78

$4.48 ฿150

162.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.7 $91.7

$45.59 ฿1,521

101.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.13 $6.13

$8.76 ฿292

-30.02%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$2.97 ฿99.0

55.22%

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

$1.46 $1.46

$0.69 ฿22.90

111.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.39 ฿13.04

148.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.53 ฿84.4

143.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.75 ฿125

86.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$2.15 ฿71.6

-66.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.82 ฿60.6

-22.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.18 ฿72.9

-0.92%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.25 ฿75.0

48.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$20.00 ฿667

-34.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.63 ฿121

172.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.87 $10.87

$13.56 ฿452

-19.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.24 ฿108

16.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.64 ฿54.6

-23.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.33 ฿77.8

37.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$2.07 ฿69.1

112.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.55 ฿51.6

113.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.46 ฿48.54

91.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.98 ฿32.86

105.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.48 ฿16.09

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.35 ฿145

50.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$18.57 ฿620

-36.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.86 ฿61.9

8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.65 ฿88.6

54.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.42 ฿47.28

21.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 $58.9

$11.57 ฿386

408.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.17 ฿106

-5.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.03 ฿34.41

32.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.37 $22.37

$13.89 ฿463

61.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.34 ฿44.84

-35.82%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-1.54%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-23.83%

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

$273 $273

$123 ฿4,105

121.70%

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

$40.50 $40.50

$13.77 ฿459

194.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.20 $49.20

$18.33 ฿611

168.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.79 $29.79

$60.7 ฿2,025

-50.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 $15.80

$17.16 ฿573

-7.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.32 $12.32

$8.87 ฿296

38.90%

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

$784 $784

$688 ฿22.9K

13.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.4K $43.4K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

174.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.48 $45.48

$59.3 ฿1,978

-23.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.02 $30.02

$34.69 ฿1,157

-13.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 $72.8

$115 ฿3,843

-36.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 $83.3

$83.8 ฿2,794

-0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 $1,224

$621 ฿20.7K

96.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 $1,093

$446 ฿14.9K

144.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 $2,095

$2,034 ฿67.8K

3.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,486 $1,486

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-0.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,589 $1,589

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-54.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,530 $1,530

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-39.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,322 $3,322

$494 ฿16.5K

573.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

5.33

25.33%

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

Last update for Scranton, PA: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Scranton, PA and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scranton, PA pays 573% 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: $92.0 in Scranton, PA vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 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

Scranton, PA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 573% higher in Scranton, PA, 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: $1,224 in Scranton, PA versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $784 in Scranton, PA 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 4% higher in Scranton, PA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,253 in Scranton, PA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Scranton, PA. 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 Scranton, PA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Scranton, PA 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 78% less than in Scranton, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.