Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheldon, IA and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sheldon, IA and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,584 in Sheldon, IA versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Sheldon, IA versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,891 in Sheldon, IA versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sheldon, IA is roughly 110% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sheldon, IA is 93% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 $18.21

$4.63 ฿151

293.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 $66.4

$46.84 ฿1,523

41.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 $10.09

$8.84 ฿287

14.14%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$3.00 ฿97.4

70.67%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$0.74 ฿24.11

281.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.37 ฿11.88

551.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.44 ฿79.3

141.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.61 ฿117

92.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.26 ฿73.5

-56.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.84 ฿59.8

121.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.24 ฿73.0

74.55%

Eggs

$2.02 $2.02

$2.32 ฿75.3

-12.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 $9.62

$19.67 ฿639

-51.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$3.65 ฿119

221.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.74 $8.74

$13.10 ฿426

-33.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.39 ฿110

47.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.64 ฿53.4

-29.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.41 ฿78.5

123.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.03 ฿66.0

153.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.56 ฿50.6

140.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.50 ฿48.66

147.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.02 ฿33.30

92.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.49 ฿15.91

289.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.37 $10.37

$4.45 ฿145

133.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.95 $15.95

$18.88 ฿614

-15.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.78 ฿57.7

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.75 ฿89.5

68.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.40 ฿45.54

44.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.12 ฿101

57.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.00 ฿32.48

38.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.43 $29.43

$14.09 ฿458

108.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.35 ฿43.93

-36.30%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

29.57%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.53%

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

$218 $218

$125 ฿4,063

74.53%

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

$49.39 $49.39

$13.57 ฿441

263.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$18.52 ฿602

294.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.11 $43.11

$61.5 ฿1,999

-29.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 $13.73

$9.19 ฿299

49.40%

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

$1,478 $1,478

$698 ฿22.7K

111.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

94.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.06 $39.06

$57.8 ฿1,878

-32.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 $41.48

$35.24 ฿1,146

17.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 $85.2

$113 ฿3,677

-24.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$86.4 ฿2,808

47.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$616 ฿20.0K

160.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 $1,354

$446 ฿14.5K

203.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 $2,627

$2,048 ฿66.6K

28.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$1,492 ฿48.5K

46.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,386 $2,386

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-36.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,312 $2,312

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-12.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.33

20.64%

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

Last update for Sheldon, IA: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,602 in Sheldon, IA and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $66.0 in Sheldon, IA vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 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

Sheldon, IA vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,876 in Sheldon, IA and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,602 in Sheldon, IA versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,478 in Sheldon, IA versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $66.0 in Sheldon, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,584 in Sheldon, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sheldon, IA. 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 Sheldon, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sheldon, IA 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 110% less than in Sheldon, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.