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: $2,516 in Sheldon, IA versus $1,242 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,742 in Sheldon, IA versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,968 in Sheldon, IA versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Sheldon, IA is roughly 103% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sheldon, IA is 86% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.66 $19.66

$4.60 ฿152

327.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$34.86 ฿1,154

127.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$8.57 ฿284

17.62%

Cappuccino

$6.09 $6.09

$2.82 ฿93.2

115.96%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$0.78 ฿25.75

293.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.48 ฿15.75

368.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 $6.68

$2.42 ฿80.1

176.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.71 ฿123

111.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.79 ฿59.1

-49.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.41 ฿46.51

149.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.18 $7.18

$1.60 ฿52.8

348.75%

Eggs

$2.05 $2.05

$2.20 ฿72.9

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$19.64 ฿650

-47.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$3.50 ฿116

272.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$11.24 ฿372

-22.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$2.86 ฿94.7

104.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.68 ฿55.7

-19.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.31 ฿76.4

140.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.10 ฿69.5

149.05%

Potato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.48 ฿48.91

193.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.35 ฿44.54

189.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.07 ฿35.58

89.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.58 ฿19.07

355.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.88 $12.88

$4.31 ฿143

198.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 $15.91

$18.67 ฿618

-14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.79 ฿59.2

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.77 ฿91.8

101.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.19 ฿72.4

-17.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.98 ฿760

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.03 ฿100

65.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.02 ฿33.71

68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.19 $24.19

$3.91 ฿129

518.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.43 ฿47.27

-29.37%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$27.2K ฿900.7K

30.93%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.9K ฿889.6K

-6.50%

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

$157 $157

$102 ฿3,383

53.42%

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

$57.1 $57.1

$10.95 ฿362

421.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$17.06 ฿565

313.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.12 $41.12

$53.2 ฿1,761

-22.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.11 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 $16.03

$7.82 ฿259

104.99%

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

$1,338 $1,338

$552 ฿18.3K

142.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K $36.7K

$11.4K ฿378.3K

220.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 $56.9

$62.4 ฿2,064

-8.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.84 $43.84

$28.98 ฿959

51.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 $97.7

$97.6 ฿3,232

0.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$88.3 ฿2,924

23.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$746 ฿24.7K

136.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 $1,331

$480 ฿15.9K

177.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,652 $2,652

$2,112 ฿69.9K

25.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 $2,402

$1,195 ฿39.5K

101.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,579 ฿118.5K

-32.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,349 $2,349

$2,576 ฿85.3K

-8.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$509 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.23

5.57

11.85%

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

Last update for Sheldon, IA: August 3, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Sheldon, IA and $746 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Sheldon, IA vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $272 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,774 in Sheldon, IA and $1,863 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: $1,765 in Sheldon, IA versus $746 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,338 in Sheldon, IA versus $552 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 $35.00 versus $79.0 in Sheldon, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,242 in Phuket versus $2,516 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 103% less than in Sheldon, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.